EWA 


EWA 

A  TALE  OF  KOREA 


BY 

W.  ARTHUR  NOBLE 


NEW  YORK 

YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  MISSIONARY  MOVEMENT 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 


Copyrignt,  1906,  by 
EATON  &  MAINS. 


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£ 

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•PREFACE. 

f^Vi 

THE  aim  of  this  book  is  to  represent  Korean 

affairs  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Korean. 

The  writer  has  endeavored  to  look  through 
Korean  eyes  at  the  acts  of  foreigners,  in  their  atti 
tude  toward  Korea,  and  search  for  their  interpreta 
tion  from  the  Korean  standpoint;  to  illustrate  the 
customs  of  the  people  and  their  habits  of  thought ;  to 
show  that  the  Asiatic  loves,  hates,  fears,  hopes  and 
sacrifices  for  his  ideals,  the  same  as  does  his  West 
ern  brother ;  to  show  the  great  struggle  of  new  Ko 
rea  for  a  better  life;  to  illustrate  the  type  of  man 
hood  that  is  leading  the  people  toward  reform;  to 
awaken  sympathy  for  a  people  who  have  become  the 
victims  of  an  unjust  exploitation  by  a  foreign 
power. 

The  characters  and  incidents  here  related  are  his 
torical.  Where  it  has  been  necessary  to<  enlarge 
upon  them,  the  traditions  and  spirit  of  the  people 
have  been  faithfully  followed.  For  obvious  reasons 
names  of  persons  still  living  and  names  of  some 
places  connected  with  them  have  been  changed. 

Whether  the  writer  has  succeeded  in  his  purposes 
or  not,  is  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  kindly  sympa 
thetic  reader. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The  Royal  Recorder 1 1 

Promise  of  New  Dignity 23 

An  Interruption 29 

On  the  Tong  River 35 

A  Magistrate 48 

The  Foreigner 59 

Searching  for  a  Bride 66 

A  Spirit  from  the  West 75 

Perils  of  the  Great  Tong  River 92 

The  Hermitage 126 

Victims  of  War. ...... 149 

The  Condemned  Minstrel 158 

The  Contract,  and  an  Execution 168 

Panic 177 

Convalescence 190 

The  New  Faith 203 

Home 209 

The  Search 218 

Under  Arrest 234 

Attack  on  the  Palace 243 

Storms  in  the  Capital 259 

The  Search  Continued 268 

Search  Rewarded 288 

Until  Death 297 

For  Conscience'  Sake 309 

Dangers  Ahead 323 

For  His  Country 339 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Ewa Frontispiece 

Women  at  Sung-yo's  Home Facing  Page    20 

Burden  Bearers "          "        82 

A  Merchant "          "       152 

Sung-yo  Dressed  in  Mourning  for  His  Father      "          "      214 
Where  Korea  and  Japan  Meet "          "      264 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  ROYAL  RECORDER 

I  WOULD  not  be  true  to  that  which  the  Korean 
holds  dearest  in  life,  namely,  the  reverence  due  his 
ancestors,  if  I  did  not,  in  these  first  lines,  introduce 
the  reader  to  my  father,  the  Royal  Recorder,  who 
was  the  head  of  the  great  Kim  clan  of  the  North, 
and  also,  to  the  home  over  which  he  ruled. 

At  a  distance,  the  Sung-ji1  mansion  resembled  a 
fortification.  A  wall  enclosing  a  small  village  of 
roofs  formed  a  rectangle  of  nearly  three  thousand 
square  yards.  It  was  eight  feet  high,  covered  with 
huge  tile  coping,  but  here  the  resemblance  to  a  forti 
fication  ceased.  Above  the  wall,  within  the  enclo 
sure,  rose  the  buildings  of  our  home.  They  were, 
like  the  wall,  rectangular  in  shape,  with  broad 
gables  and  massive  roofs  resembling  the  hills  that 
towered  above  them.  The  eaves  of  the  roofs,  from 
center  to  corners,  sloped  up  and  outward,  giving  the 
group  of  buildings  an  airiness,  like  a  dancing  girl 
with  her  arms  raised  aloft  posed  for  the  dance.  The 
suggestion  of  humor  was  enhanced  by  the  arrange 
ment  of  the  buildings.  They  stood  at  all  angles,  as 
if  they  had  paused  in  the  midst  of  a  mad  frolic  and 

1  Royal  Recorder. 


12  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

were  peering  over  the  walls  at  a  noisy,  chattering 
brook  that  half  encircled  the  outside  of  the  enclo 
sure.  The  great  compound  was  flanked  at  the  back 
by  a  high  range  of  hills  called  "The  Mistress  of  the 
Tong  River."  It  rose  sharply  out  of  the  narrow 
valley  and  turned  southward  by  the  side  of  the  river 
with  long  graceful  strides,  swinging  from  its  ever 
green  sides  a  voluminous  trail,  which,  folding 
out  and  in,  revealed  a  village  here  and  hid  another 
there.  Days,  when  the  winds  blew  heavily  from 
the  south  and  hurtled  up  through  the  mountain 
peaks,  there  was  heard  a  sobbing  and  moaning 
sound,  so  that,  it  was  said,  demons  of  the  mountains 
were  struggling  and  shouting  in  the  storm. 

The  main  entrance  to  the  enclosure  was  a  huge 
gate  over  which,  supported  by  four  posts,  was  an 
upper  structure  sheltering  a  room  that  opened  on 
four  sides,  where,  in  the  time  of  our  prosperity, 
hung  a  ponderous  drum  and  other  instruments  of 
music.  Here  the  curfew  was  played,  and  not  rung, 
as  is  the  habit  in  some  lands. 

The  curfew  at  my  home  was  an  imitation  of  the 
cunning  fiction  practiced  at  the  country  magistra 
cies,  which  regarded  the  unwalled  towns  as  possess 
ing  gates  to  be  closed  and  opened,  at  regulated 
times,  for  the  protection  of  the  people.  Thus,  at 
night,  the  people  would  be  called  from  their  toil,  and 
again,  in  the  unreasonable  hours  of  the  early  cock- 
crowing,  the  drums  and  horns  would  roar  out, 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  13 

announcing  to  the  sleepy  denizens  that  the  gates  to 
the  town,  of  which  there  were  none,  were  open  and 
the  people  permitted  to  engage  in  their  daily  toil. 

Just  inside  the  main  gate  stood  a  small  building 
which  inspired  my  boyhood  with  awe,  exceeded  only 
by  the  fear  that  I  held  for  the  ghosts  and  hobgoblins 
who  were  hidden  in  the  top  of  the  Mistress  of  the 
Tong  River.  This  was  the  guest  house  where  my 
father  received  governors,  magistrates,  and  other 
high  officials  who  were  ready  to  make  long  journeys 
to  our  country  home  to  solicit  favor  of  the  man  who 
stood  in  the  Imperial  Presence  when  at  the  capital. 
The  building  boasted  of  two  rooms  separated  by  an 
unusually  heavy  partition,  behind  which,  it  was 
understood,  the  great  Sung-ji  on  rare  occasions 
imparted  his  whispered  confidences. 

The  floor  of  the  main  room,  covered  with  oiled 
paper,  was  polished  daily  by  a  slave  girl  till  it  shone 
like  a  mirror.  As  a  boy,  in  the  absence  of  the  usual 
awe-inspiring  dignity,  I  often  gamboled  on  its  slip 
pery  surface  and  measured  the  room,  six  strides  one 
way  and  four  the  other.  The  furniture  of  the  larger 
room,  where  guests  were  received,  consisted  of  a 
large  brass  candlestick  that  reached  from  the  floor 
as  high  as  one's  head;  the  brasier,  usually  filled 
with  coals  for  the  convenience  of  the  long  pipes  of 
guests,  and  cushions,  arranged  in  order  about  the 
room,  giving  it  a  sense  of  luxury.  The  wall  was 
papered  white  and  decorated  with  many  impossible 


14  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

figures  by  a  skilled  artist  from  the  capital,  and  ban 
ners  hung  from  the  walls  covered  with  quotations 
from  the  classics.  The  room  was  warmed  by  flues 
passing  under  the  house  from  a  fireplace  sheltered  at 
one  side,  where,  often  as  a  boy,  I  fed  into  its  raven 
ous  maw  the  pine  bough  cut  from  the  mountainside 
and  laughed  as  I  dodged  the  flame  that  licked  out 
hungrily  at  me. 

As  I  remember  my  father  last,  his  hair  was  as 
white  as  snow.  It  was  held  in  place  by  a  band  fas 
tened  with  punctilious  neatness  about  his  head,  after 
the  style  of  all  our  people.  Over  the  band  was  drawn 
a  skull  cap  that  opened  at  the  top  and  expanded  with 
projections  at  the  four  sides,  bearing  a  decided  re 
semblance  to  a  crown.  His  face  was  round,  eyes 
black,  with  overhanging  brows,  mouth  slightly 
drooped  at  the  corners  and  closed  firmly,  as  if  he 
were  in  the  habit  of  commanding.  I  best  remember 
him  seated  on  a  large  cushion  in  the  guest  room  on 
the  side  farthest  from  the  door.  At  his  back,  run 
ning  from  wall  to  wall,  a  silk  screen  adorned  with 
beautiful  needle-work  representing  forests,  birds, 
and  animals.  He  usually  wore  a  silk  coat  dyed  red, 
over  a  suit  of  purest  white.  To  me,  his  voice  was 
always  kind,  and  peering  back  through  the  troublous 
years  filled  with  painful  incidents  which  I  am  about 
to  relate,  I  see  my  father.  His  benign  face  and 
gentle  look  caress  me  still,  and  make  the  sheet  of 
paper  under  my  hand  grow  dim. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  ig 

When  in  the  capital  my  father's  business  was  to 
watch  the  Emperor  and  write  down  all  his  Majesty's 
acts,  however  trivial.  It  was  frequently  the  case 
that  a  close  intimacy  would  spring  up  between  the 
Emperor  and  his  creature,  the  Sung-ji,  that  was  de 
nied  all  other  officials,  and  my  father,  it  was  said, 
often  jogged  his  Majesty's  elbow  to  the  advantage 
of  many  of  his  friends,  and  sometimes  to  the  confu 
sion  of  his  enemies,  till  he  was  known  as  "His  Ma 
jesty's  Friend." 

At  the  period  of  which  I  write  the  fortune  of  the 
great  Sung-ji  had  been  fast  fading  away,  and  many 
were  the  schemes  devised  by  which  it  was  hoped  that 
our  family  would  become  thoroughly  reestablished 
before  he  should  close  his  career  among  the  great  of 
earth.  Haste  in  the  matter  seemed  necessary,  as  that 
ruthless  arbiter,  Time,  was  making  sad  havoc  of 
this  stately  patrician  of  Korean  society. 

He  had  held  the  enviable  rank  of  Sung-ji  in  the 
Emperor's  service  for  twenty  years,  an  office  denied 
the  North  country  for  a  period  of  more  than  three 
hundred  years.  A  powerful  family  by  the  name  of 
Song  gained  control  over  Korean  politics  somewhere 
about  1560,  and  so  successfully  connived  for  its  own 
interests  as  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  law  disquali 
fying  any  man  living  in  the  northern  provinces  from 
securing  that  rank. 

"How,"  they  asked,  "is  it  possible  for  any  good 
to  come  out  of  the  North  ?" 


16  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

For  centuries  the  question  itself  sufficed  to  settle 
all  cavil.  Excellency  in  scholarship  was  not  decided 
from  the  merits  of  the  thesis  written  at  the  national 
examinations,  but  from  the  locality  in  which  the 
man  lived.  When  a  man  was  presented  for  prefer 
ment  his  ancestry  was  carefully  reviewed,  and  if  it 
was  found  that  the  candidate  had  been  so  culpable 
as  to  have  allowed  his  family  to  take  root  in  the 
North  country,  even  though  it  were  a  thousand 
years  previous  to  his  own  birth,  he  was  quietly 
turned  down,  unless,  indeed,  he  had  vast  sums  of 
money  to  pay  for  his  rank,  and  even  then  he  was 
treated  in  a  spirit  of  tolerance,  but  not  of  fellowship. 

The  spirit  of  resentment  and  jealousy  in  the  North 
which  grew  through  these  years  at  some  periods 
threatened  the  country  with  a  revolution ;  but  when 
my  father  secured  the  rank  of  Sung-ji  it  was  believed 
to  be  a  death  blow  to  the  old  regime,  and  the  whole 
North  rejoiced;  while  in  the  South,  the  innovation 
was  viewed  with  dismay.  The  most  astonished 
man  among  Korea's  millions  was  my  father  himself. 
He  regarded  his  good  fortune  as  the  gift  of  the  gods 
which  augured  well  for  his  descendants  through  all 
time. 

It  came  about  in  this  way:  my  grandfather  had 
inherited  a  large  fortune  and  by  shrewd  industry 
had  added  to  it  until  he  was  one  of  the  wealthiest 
landholders  in  the  country.  Success  seemed  to 
crown  his  every  effort  till,  it  was  said,  when  he 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  17 

launched  a  chip  on  the  river  it  floated  back  to  him 
acres  of  lumber.  Finally  he  began  to  yearn  and 
struggle  for  national  rank.  It  is  fair  to  him  to  say 
that  his  ambition  was  more  in  behalf  of  his  posterity 
than  for  himself,  with  the  hopes,  however,  that  a  clan 
of  great  men  would  sacrifice  at  his  grave  through 
the  centuries  to  come. 

His  passion  for  rank  and  political  preferment 
burned  into  his  life  with  an  intensity  only  equaled  by 
the  passion  of  a  gambler.  He  made  trips  to  the  capi 
tal,  spending  vast  sums  of  money  to  curry  favor  with 
the  powers  that  controlled  these  national  gifts. 

Finally  he  collected  all  he  had,  besides  the  lands 
around  his  immediate  home,  and  left  for  Seoul, 
resolved  that  he  would  not  return  until  he  had 
secured  the  position  he  coveted. 

While  at  the  capital,  in  this  desperate  search  for 
rank,  he  met  Prince  An,  who,  in  the  whirl  of  for 
tune's  wheel,  became  in  after  years  the  Prince  Re 
gent  of  Korea.  At  this  date,  however,  he  was  very 
poor  and  without  great  influence.  My  grandfather 
deposited  with  him  a  large  sum  of  money  and 
received  in  return  the  usual  empty  promises. 

Prince  An  had  a  son  for  whom  my  grandfather 
took  a  great  fancy  and  spent  whole  days  in  making 
kites  for  him  and  in  teaching  the  boy  how  to  fly 
them.  As  he  spent  much  of  his  time  at  the  home  of 
the  Prince,  the  lad  and  he  were  great  companions. 
My  grandfather  was,  it  has  been  stoutly  argued, 


1 8  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

quite  unconscious  of  any  possibility  that  the  boy 
would  ever  be  any  other  than  a  playmate  to  him, 
but,  as  he  was  a  great  connoisseur  of  national  rank 
and  royal  genealogy,  he  may  have  possessed  knowl 
edge  of  some  facts  that  gave  course  to  his  kites  and 
length  to  their  strings. 

Finally  the  Emperor  died,  and  having  left  no  chil 
dren,  the  country  was  searched  for  an  heir  to  the 
throne.  Musty  records  were  produced ;  claimants  in 
great  numbers  came  forward,  but  were  rejected.  At 
last  it  was  proven  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  son  of 
Prince  An  was  the  legitimate  heir  to  the  throne. 

In  the  meantime  my  grandfather  had  returned  to 
his  home  a  discouraged  man.  He  had  struggled 
against  constant  defeat  and  had  fretted  his  life 
threadbare.  He  went  away  vigorous  and  in  the 
prime  of  manhood,  but  returned  an  old  man. 

As  soon  as  the  new  King  took  his  throne  he  re 
membered  his  old  playmate  and  dispatched  a  courier 
to  call  him  to  Seoul  as  the  one  whom  the  King  would 
delight  to  honor.  The  messenger  found  the  home 
in  mourning  and  the  oldest  son,  my  father,  hastened 
to  the  capital  to  bear  the  tidings  of  his  father's  death 
to  the  boy  King.  On  arriving  he  was  received  with 
many  marks  of  regard  and  honored  with  the  rank 
of  Sung-ji. 

His  appointment  to  this  rank  and  its  privileges 
stirred  the  whole  country,  and  so  earnestly  and 
effectually  did  the  officials  at  the  capital  protest  that 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  19 

there  has  not  been  a  repetition  of  the  appointment 
to  this  day. 

In  this  country,  newly  married  people  do  not  sepa 
rate  from  the  original  stock,  but  each  new  family 
gathers  under  the  parental  roof,  and  the  original 
household  grows  small  only  by  dying  off  at  the  top, 
so  that,  in  the  palmy  days  of  my  father's  prosperity, 
more  than  fifty  persons  comprised  our  home,  besides 
a  large  number  of  servants  quartered  in  the  village 
outside  of  the  compound. 

I,  being  the  youngest  son,  enjoyed  the  advantages 
which  are  the  usual  privileges  of  that  member  of  a 
family.  Idleness  and  incapacity,  the  ideals  for  chil 
dren  of  the  rich  and  those  of  rank,  became  my  lot. 
Discouraged  from  taking  robust  physical  exercise,  I 
developed  the  physical  effeminacy  which  is  sup 
posed  to  be  the  mark  of  a  gentleman.  Keeping  the 
creases  out  of  my  silk  coat,  my  hands  white  and  my 
little  finger  nails  long  were  the  burdensome  occupa 
tions  of  my  life,  until  about  five  years  previous  to  the 
period  of  which  this  story  relates  I  became  greatly 
attached  to  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Kim  Tong- 
siki,1  seven  years  my  senior,  who,  it  seems  to  me, 
was  the  most  remarkable  man  of  these  disturbed 
times. 

My  home  was  composed  differently  from  what 
critics  of  the  late  reform  movements  would  call  ideal 


1  "Kim,"  is  the  clan  name  and  "Tong-siki"  is  the  name  received  from 
his  parents  on  reaching  his  majority.  In  this  case  and  in  others  of  which 
this  story  relates  the  clan  name  will  be  dropped. 


2O  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

or  intolerable.  I  was  not  the  son  of  my  father's 
real  wife.  If  at  this  time  I  had  been  called  upon  to 
debate  the  question  of  the  proposed  marriage  re 
forms,  I  would  have  asked  first  for  their  motives : 
national  economics,  improvement  of  society,  utilita 
rian,  or  ideal  ?  In  any  case,  it  would  be  a  reflection 
on  our  honored  ancestry  and  might  raise  the  ques 
tion  of  my  right  to  existence.  Though  I  am  the  son 
of  a  concubine,  I  am  glad  that  I  am  here.  My  phi 
losophy  may  be  selfish,  and  I  might  wish,  for  the 
sake  of  a  beautiful  creed,  that  such  as  I  had  not 
been.  The  sages  have  taught  us,  and  there  are  many 
of  us  who  believe  their  teaching  true,  that  there  will 
be  a  time  when  we  all  shall  have  been  absorbed  in 
the  mother  of  all  life.  In  such  a  scheme  to  argue  out 
of  existence  one's  personality,  it  might  be  as  consist 
ent  to  regret  the  past  as  to  hope  for  the  future.  I 
fancy,  however,  that  Nirvana,  into  which  Buddhism 
says  we  are  drifting,  and  asks  us  to  be  glad  at  the 
perfection  of  this  system  of  annihilation,  would  be 
less  attractive  if  it  was  not  distant  and  inevitable. 
One  fact  is  certain — I  am  here,  and  when  I  am 
hungry  I  would  rather  have  a  homely  meal  than 
listen  to  a  fine  discourse  on  the  palace  bill  of  fare. 

An  older  brother  and  I  were  the  only  living  sons 
of  the  great  Sung-ji.  That  fact  was  the  source  of 
much  sorrow  on  the  part  of  my  father.  Daughters 
crowded  the  compound  and  fluttered  about  the  ram 
bling  old  homestead  in  such  numbers  that  he  was  as 


WOMEN    AT    SUNG-YO  S    HOME 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  21 

little  able  to  keep  track  of  them  as  was  his  desire  to 
do  so.  Thirteen  lived  to  weep  under  the  hard  hands 
of  mothers-in-law. 

"Sons  are  a  blessing,  and  daughters  are  a  curse," 
he  would  say,  yet  dimpled  cheeks  and  laughing  eyes 
followed  him  everywhere.  A  smile  from  him  would 
set  the  hills  to  echoing  with  merry  laughter.  The 
fact  that  girls  are  not  supposed  to  be  worth  the  pos 
session  of  names  frequently  produces  interesting 
scenes. 

"Which  one  are  you?"  the  Sung-ji  would  ask, 
pinching  a  pair  of  pink  cheeks. 

"Rat,"  would  be  the  reply. 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  would  say,  "what  are  the  rest 
doinof?" 


"Pig,  Cat  and  Rascal  are  playing  with  Twelve  and 
Thirteen  and  —  " 

"Yes,  yes,  never  mind,  off  with  you  to  your  play," 
would  be  his  reply. 

Among  our  servants  were  a  number  of  female 
slaves,  and,  through  marriage,  three  male  members 
of  that  class  who  refused  their  freedom  though 
granted  by  the  law  unless  their  wives  could  go  with 
them,  deliberately  choosing  to  suffer  with  their  fami 
lies  rather  than  seek  their  own  freedom.  On  these 
slaves  often  fell  all  the  ills  of  the  home.  One  of  their 
number  was  more  to  me  than  any  of  my  other  play 
mates.  Tt  was  not  often  that  my  father  so  far  lost 
himself  as  to  lay  violent  hands  on  anyone  ;  but  if  at 


22  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

any  time  his  wrath  was  aroused  and  there  was  no 
other  outlet  the  slightest  provocation  would  bring 
speedy  vengeance  upon  the  head  of  the  unlucky  slave. 

I  was  about  seven  years  old,  when,  one  day,  I  hap 
pened  in  the  yard  and  found  all  our  servants  gath 
ered,  their  interest  centered  upon  some  object  in  their 
midst.  Out  of  curiosity  and  unnoticed  I  pushed  my 
way  to  the  center  of  the  circle  and  what  I  saw  fol 
lowed  me  as  a  shadowing  nightmare  long  afterward. 
A  man  lay  bound  down  to  the  beams  of  a  rough 
cross,  his  arms  extended,  and  stripped  of  nearly  all 
his  clothing.  Our  head  servant  stood  by  directing 
another  who  was  leaning  on  a  long  paddle.  At  a 
signal  the  paddle  was  raised  and  brought  down  on 
the  thighs  of  the  prostrate  man.  A  spasmodic  up 
ward  throw  of  the  head  brought  his  face  in  my 
direction,  revealing  the  face  of  my  playmate  slave. 
Sudden  anger  choked  me,  and  in  my  puny  wrath  I 
ran  to  stop  the  next  blow.  It  fell  more  lightly  on 
my  arm,  the  marks  of  which  I  still  carry  with  me. 
The  consternation  that  followed  resulted  in  the 
release  of  the  slave. 

For  slight  acts  of  kindness,  this  class  of  people 
gave  me  an  affection  that  I  found  not  elsewhere;  and 
it  is  the  sweet  memories  that  hover  around  the  name 
of  one  of  these  helpless  children  of  misfortune  that 
inspire  me  to  relate  the  incidents  of  this  tale. 


CHAPTER    II 
PROMISE  OF  NEW  DIGNITY 

AT  the  age  of  eighteen  I  was  made  aware  of  the 
scandalous  fact  that  I  was  not  married.  This  cer 
tainly  was  an  abnormal  state  of  affairs  for  one  in  our 
grade  of  society.  It  was  the  result  partly  from  my 
dislike  of  such  a  move,  partly  from  my  mother's  in 
dulgence,  but  mainly  from  my  father's  straitened 
financial  affairs.  Like  my  grandfather,  he  had  spent 
large  sums  of  money  in  the  effort  to  buy  rank  for 
my  ambitious  brother,  with  the  result  of  a  well-fed 
official  in  the  capital,  many  empty  promises  and  the 
loss  of  a  large  part  of  his  estate.  His  service  to 
the  King  brought  little  revenue;  but  while  enough; 
of  his  estate  remained  to  maintain  the  tradition  of 
the  clan  hospitality,  and  the  rank  was  still  attached 
to  our  name,  it  was  sufficient  for  the  dignity  of  a 
gentleman.  I  fear  the  losses  disturbed  me  little  as 
they  served  to  postpone  my  unwelcome  prospects  of 
marriage. 

Finally  negotiations  were  afoot  to  dispose  of  me 
in  a  fitting  manner,  though,  as  was  said,  it  was 
shamefully  late.  A  young  lady  four  years  my  senior 
was  chosen  to  be  honored  as  rny  bride.  She  lived 
three  hundred  miles  from  my  home,  and  I  had  never 


24  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

heard  of  her  before.  I  exercised  every  means  pos 
sible  to  find  out  something  about  her,  and  grew 
angry  at  our  customs  that  treat  the  bride  and  groom 
as  if  they  were  the  least  interested  persons  in  the 
transaction.  By  bribing  the  go-between  I  learned 
that  the  young  lady  was  deformed,  or  scarred  from 
some  great  accident.  My  protests  were  listened  to 
with  patient  indulgence  as  something  to  be  expected 
from  the  youngest  member  of  the  family.  They  told 
me  that  I  had  been  misinformed,  not  with  the  inten 
tion  of  saying  that  the  girl  was  not  deformed,  but  it 
was  the  easiest  way  to  say,  "Young  man,  behave 
yourself."  Like  any  other  of  my  countrymen  I  sub 
mitted  to  what  I  called  my  fate. 

Obedience  is  the  first  law  of  the  household,  and 
therein  I  think  we  are  not  behind  the  best  civilized 
nations  of  the  world.  While  the  prospects  of  my 
coming  marriage  were  hateful  to  me,  I  had  no 
thought  of  disobeying.  Perhaps,  if  at  the  time  I  had 
known  to  what  my  rebellious  feelings  would  lead 
me,  I  would  have  welcomed  the  fate  of  a  marriage 
with  this  unknown  creature.  Western  nations  are 
fond  of  saying  that  it  is  this  spirit  that  has  been  the 
curse  of  our  country.  We  have  lacked,  they  say,  the 
virile  conception  of  what  is  right  and  readiness  to 
suffer  for  it,  and  a  willingness  to  enter  the  hurly- 
burly  necessary  for  the  reformation  of  our  tyran 
nical  customs.  Our  nation,  they  inform  us  with 
callous  frankness,  has  become  a  byword  among  the 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  25 

nations  of  the  world  because  we  lack  the  courage  to 
fight  down  the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  us  by  unjust 
laws  and  official  oppression.  They  call  us  cowards, 
not  remembering  that  it  takes  no  less  courage  to 
suffer  patiently  than  to  seek  revenge. 

As  preparations  for  the  wedding  moved  slowly 
forward  I  became  the  object  of  interest  and  con 
siderable  attention,  now  that  the  disgrace  of  bache- 
lordom  was  to  be  removed  and  the  dignity  of  man 
hood  assumed  by  having  my  hair  put  up  in  a  top 
knot.  The  side  of  the  question  that  brought  me 
satisfaction  was  the  prospect  of  being  addressed  in 
good  language  and  treated  with  the  respect  due 
a  married  man. 

About  this  time  there  came  many  rumors  from 
the  South  that  foreign  nations  had  nearly  all  made 
treaties  with  our  government. 

Strange  rumors  had  reached  us  of  these  barba 
rians  from  the  West,  their  curious  customs  and  in 
comprehensible  names.  It  was  said  that  they  were 
all  large  of  stature  and  dressed  in  black,  the  con 
clusion  being  that  if  they  dressed  in  black  they  must 
be  very  dirty;  but  of  course  one  should  not  be  sur 
prised  at  that,  for  what  could  one  expect  of  barba 
rians  ?  They  were  said  to  have  piercing  eyes,  large 
noses  and  huge  mouths,  restless,  energetic  habits, 
ignorant  of  our  customs  and  impolite.  It  was 
rumored  and  believed  by  most  people  that  they 
used  human  flesh  for  medicine.  Some  of  them  en- 


26  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

gaged  in  trade  as  merchants  at  the  open  ports, 
others  were  representatives  of  their  governments, 
while  others  did  not  engage  in  trade  or  business  of 
any  kind,  but  spent  their  whole  time  in  teaching  a 
strange  religion.  These  last  had  penetrated  our 
North  country  to  the  famous  city  of  Pyeng-Yang, 
a  city  situated  on  the  river  fifty  miles  from  our 
home. 

Up  to  that  date  I  had  never  seen  a  foreigner,  but 
since  then  I  -  have  associated  with  many  of  them. 
Some  of  our  first  impressions  were  wrong;  but  of 
others,  among  which  are  things  not  flattering,  we 
have  had  no  reason  to  change  our  opinion. 

When  that  part  of  the  mansion  to  which  I  was 
to  bring  my  bride  had  been  properly  fitted  up  with 
its  bright  new  paper  and  freshly  oiled  floors,  it 
smiled  out  happily  at  me  and  seemed  to  be  stretch 
ing  its  eaves  jovially  skyward  as  if  the  sheltering 
of  brides  was  the  jolliest  kind  of  pastime;  then  I  be 
came  almost  contented  to  make  friends  with  my 
fortune. 

My  father  had  business  relations  with  wealthy 
men  who  resided  in  the  city  of  Pyeng-Yang,  and 
the  interests  of  my  approaching  wedding  made  it 
desirable  for  someone  to  visit  the  city.  To  my  de 
light,  it  was  proposed  to  send  my  friend,  Tong-siki, 
and  myself  to  look  after  these  affairs.  My  experi 
ence  did  not  justify  responsibility  in  business  mat 
ters,  so  they  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  Tong-siki. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  27 

I  was  delighted  with  the  prospects  of  a  sight  of  the 
city  with  its  many  shops,  the  news  of  the  distant 
outside  world,  and  then,  too,  perhaps  I  would  have  a 
chance  to  see  the  strange  foreigner  from  the  West. 
From  the  discussions  relating  to  our  intended 
journey  I  picked  up  new  facts  regarding  the  family 
of  my  future  alliance.  The  young  lady  whom  I  was 
to  honor  by  accepting  as  my  bride,  having  no  name 
of  her  own,  was  known  as  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Yi. 
That  gentleman  some  years  previous  had  discarded 
his  first  wife,  the  mother  of  the  nameless  girl,  and 
had  taken  another  and  prettier  than  she.  He  had 
owned  considerable  rice  land  in  that  section  of  the 
country,  which  up  to  the  present  had  supported  his 
first  wife.  Now,  however,  on  the  marriage  of  her 
daughter,  the  property  would  pass  to  the  hands  of 
my  father,  to  be  held  secure  for  me  until  the  time 
when  he  should  need  it  no  more.  This  arrangement, 
while  seeming  heartless  in  its  treatment  of  the  girl's 
mother,  was  an  effort  to  save  the  lands  from  the 
avaricious  magistrates,  who  had  begun  a  new  system 
of  squeezing,  and  there  was  no  way  to  satiate  their 
ravenous  appetites.  My  father  was  supposed  to  be 
the  only  man  in  the  North  whose  property  was  se 
cure.  Mr.  Yi,  at  one  time,  held  powerful  influence 
at  the  capital,  but  in  the  game  of  politics  had  lost 
it  all.  For  the  present  proposed  transfer  of  prop 
erty  he  was  to  be  repaid  by  friendly  political  in 
fluence  that  my  father  might  be  able  to  render  him. 


28  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

The  property  would  amount  to  considerable,  and  as 
my  father's  exchequer  was  at  a  low  ebb,  the  propo 
sition  pleased  him,  knowing  full  well  that  it  was  a 
symptom  of  Mr.  Yi  becoming  a  victim  of  his  imagi 
nation,  and  would  part  with  much  more  of  his  prop 
erty  for  that  Will-o'-the-wisp,  governmental  prefer 
ment.  Surely,  it  seemed  that  the  golden  stream  that 
had  for  years  flowed  outward  had  changed  its  direc 
tion  to  the  home  of  the  great  Sung-ji. 


CHAPTER  III 
AN  INTERRUPTION 

WHEN  preparations  for  our  departure  to  Pyeng- 
Yang  were  nearly  completed,  we  were  suddenly  in 
terrupted  by  the  sickness  of  my  father.  His  illness 
having  so  profound  an  influence  upon  my  future,  I 
find  it  necessary  to  relate  the  incident  at  this  point. 

He  was  attacked  by  one  of  those  terrible,  nameless 
fevers  so  common  in  our  land.  When  all  simpler 
remedies  had  failed  to  effect  a  cure,  members  of  the 
household,  with  the  solicitude  usual  to  our  people, 
called  in  a  sorceress  to  drive  away  the  demon  of 
the  disease. 

She  came  on  a  certain  evening,  bringing  a  huge 
drum  and  several  assistants  with  her.  One  of  the 
number  was  a  woman  carrying  a  cymbal.  These 
two  persons  had  the  sinister  look  common  to  people 
of  their  profession,  while  two  others  were  young 
and  attractive,  wearing  bright  colored  garments  that 
showed  off  well  in  the  torch  lights  against  the  dark 
background  of  the  night. 

The  best  sorceress  in  the  country  had  been  pro 
cured  by  the  promise  of  a  large  sum  of  money,  and 
the  effort  to  secure  her  had  advertised  the  matter  so 
well  that  the  neighboring  towns  turned  out  in  great 

29 


30  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

numbers  to  watch  the  incantations — over  the  great 
est  man  in  North  Korea.  They  were  not  surprised 
that  he  was  sick,  for  what  could  politically  powerful 
men  expect  when  their  evil  deeds  constantly  invited 
demon  possessions  ?  They  knew  that  at  such  scenes, 
where  large  money  was  at  stake  to  inspire  the  sor 
ceress  to  display  her  utmost  cunning,  there  would 
be  uncanny  incidents  enough  to  please  the  most 
morbid  curiosity. 

My  father  had  been  lying  on  a  silk-covered  mat 
tress  spread  out  on  the  floor  but  at  the  request  of 
the  sorceress  he  was  rolled  in  a  mat  and  brought  out 
into  the  yard.  He  seemed  too  indifferent  or  too 
sick  to  pay  any  attention  to  what  they  were  trying 
to  do  with  him. 

When  all  was  ready  the  four  women  took  their 
places  in  a  half-circle  about  the  sick  man.  The  one 
with  the  drum  struck  it  tentatively,  paused,  glanced 
at  her  companions,  touched  the  drum  again  softly, 
then  beat  a  long  monotonous  roll.  The  cymbals 
clanged,  and  the  dancers  began  posturing,  keeping 
time  with  the  beating  of  drum  and  cymbals.  As  the 
incantations  proceeded  the  beating  grew  loud  and 
rapid  and  the  dancing  more  active. 

Late  in  the  evening  one  of  the  bystanders  was 
asked  to  hoW  a  demon-stick — a  willow  branch  about 
three  feet  long — over  his  head  in  both  hands.  The 
woman  then  announced  to  the  crowd  that  when  the 
stick  should  begin  to  shake  beyond  the  control  of 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  31 

the  man  holding  it,  it  would  be  a  sign  that  the  demon 
was  in  the  stick;  that  the  man  would  be  irresistibly 
forced  to  run  beneath  a  tree  that  stood  near  the  yard, 
and  the  demon  would  leap  up  into  the  branches.  At 
the  root  of  the  tree  was  placed  a  bottle  into  which, 
she  announced,  she  proposed  to  force  the  demon  and 
fasten  him  in.  The  drumming  and  dancing  con 
tinued  all  night,  and  the  man  with  the  stick  was 
repeatedly  relieved  by  others;  but  the  demon  was 
very  stubborn,  the  sorceress  stated,  having  many 
reasons,  because  of  the  vicious  life  of  his  Excellency, 
the  Sung-ji,  to  burrow  deep  within  his  soul,  there 
fore  it  did  not  yield  easily  to  her  power. 

"Some  of  you  who  have  lost  your  small  hold 
ings,"  she  said,  "could  have  prophesied  long  ago 
that  the  worst  devils  would  have  him  in  due  time, 
but  be  not  impatient  of  my  efforts.  When  the  signs 
become  favorable,  watch!  My  reputation  shall  not 
suffer,  though  the  demons  prove  a  hundredfold 
more  fierce  than  heretofore  known." 

Finally,  glancing  through  the  crowd,  she  seized 
hold  of  a  nervous-looking  young  man  and  ordered 
him  to  hold  the  demon-stick. 

"Now,  sir,"  said  she,  "something  striking  will 
happen.  The  devil  is  about  to  leave  the  sick  man. 
He  can  no  longer  withstand  my  power.  You  watch 
me,  think  of  nothing  else,  see  all  my  movements, 
listen  to  the  sound  of  the  drum,  give  yourself  up  to 
the  powers  of  the  air.  Immediately  the  demon  will 


32  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

leave  the  sick  man  and  leap  upon  the  stick,  and  perch 
there  like  a  bat,  while  your  hands  will  tremble  and 
shake  beyond  your  control.  Don't  let  loose.  He 
will  drag  you  over  yonder  wall  to  that  tree.  When 
you  touch  the  tree  the  spirit  will  leap  into  its 
branches — then  let  go." 

This  she  proclaimed  at  the  top  of  her  voice  with 
wild  looks  and  gesticulations. 

The  young  man  seized  the  stick  as  directed  and 
waited.  It  had  been  noisy  before,  but  now  pande 
monium  reigned.  The  sorceress  struck  the  drum 
furiously,  the  cymbal  clanged  and  the  dancers  leaped 
writh  frantic  hysteria.  She  looked  the  young  man 
in  the  eyes  and  shook  her  head.  Then  the  stick 
trembled. 

A  great  "Ah !"  broke  from  the  lips  of  the  bystand 
ers. 

"The  demon  is  in  the  stick!"  the  people  shouted. 

The  woman  ceased  beating  her  drum,  swung  her 
arms  wildly  in  the  air  and  pointed  to  the  tree,  and 
away  sped  the  man  struggling  with  the  shaking 
stick.  He  rushed  to  the  wall  and  over  it  and  to  the 
tree  with  the  unerring  obedience  of  a  hypnotic  sub 
ject.  On  touching  the  tree  the  willow  branch  fell. 

"Look!"  the  crowd  shouted,  "it's  in  the  tree, 
hanging  to  the  limbs  of  the  tree!" 

Drum  and  cymbals  were  brought  and  the  tree  be 
sieged  till  a  bit  of  white  paper  which  had  been  placed 
beside  the  empty  bottle,  was  seen  to  spring  suddenly 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  33 

into  the  air  and  descend  inside  of  it,  and  the  final 
act  of  the  night's  drama  closed.  The  bit  of  paper 
caught  in  the  eddy  of  wind  caused  by  the  demon's 
headlong  plunge,  followed  him  into  the  bottle,  prov 
ing  to  any  possibly  skeptical  minds  that  the  devil 
had  been  cowed  and  beaten.  The  sorceress  corked 
him  in ;  and  handled  the  bottle  with  careless  indiffer 
ence  to  its  terrible  occupant,  as  if  bottling  the  devil 
was  the  simplest  thing  imaginable. 

I  hastened  back  to  look  at  my  father.  He  had 
not  changed  his  position,  and  when  raised  up  seemed 
weaker  than  when  brought  out  the  previous  day. 

The  sorceress  admitted  that  he  might  be  so  for  the 
present,  but  soon  he  would  rally  from  the  demon  at 
tack,  now  that  the  fiend  was  gone  and  safely  fas 
tened  in  a  bottle  and  under  her  power. 

The  woman  received  the  stipulated  sum,  with  a 
present  in  addition,  and  many  expressions  of  grati 
tude  from  members  of  the  family  and  neighbors, 
then  took  her  departure. 

Two  weeks  more  of  sickness  followed,  during 
which  time  preparations  were  repeatedly  made  for 
my  father's  expected  death.  Once  we  really  knew 
that  he  was  breathing  his  last.  Crying  and  wail- 
ings  spread  throughout  the  mansion  and  out  into  the 
town.  Some  member  of  the  family  spread  a  mat 
on  the  floor,  extending  from  the  place  where  he  lay 
to  the  open  door.  Another  climbed  to  the  roof  of 
the  house  with  my  father's  coat.  Swinging  the  gar- 


34  EVVA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

ment  in  the  air  he  called  loudly  to  the  departing 
spirit  to  return  and  occupy  the  garment,  that  we 
might  worship  it  in  the  ancestral  tablet.  My  mother 
dragged  another  garment  along  the  mat  and  re 
peated,  "Nam-u-am-i-ta-bul,"  a  Buddhistic  incanta 
tion  from  India,  invoking  the  aid  of  Buddha  for  the 
securing  and  propitiation  of  the  departing  spirit. 

My  father  disappointed  all  these  preparations  for 
his  death,  as  \vell  as  disappointing  his  creditors, 
who,  by  the  way,  were  the  loudest  of  all  in  their 
waitings.  A  month  later  he  was  so  much  recovered 
that  he  ordered  us  to  hasten  our  departure  for 
Pyeng-Yang,  that  we  might  be  able  to  return  before 
the  summer  rains  should  make  the  river  dangerous. 

We  had  need  of  haste,  for  the  delay  was  fraught 
with  many  consequences  impossible  for  anyone  to 
foresee. 


CHAPTER  IV 
ON  THE  TONG  RIVER 

PREPARATIONS  for  the  journey  were  completed 
by  having  my  hair  put  up  in  a  topknot,  at  which 
time  my  official  name,  Sung-yo,  was  given  to  me. 
My  approaching  marriage  would  soon  make  the 
change  necessary;  so  the  matter  was  hastened,  that 
my  presence  among  my  father's  creditors  as  a  repre 
sentative  of  the  Sung-ji  estate  might  have  the 
proper  dignity. 

All  our  servants  were  called  out  to  hasten  our  de 
parture,  and  there  was  the  hustle  and  hurly-burly 
usual  on  such  occasions. 

We  secured  a  boat  peculiar  to  this  part  of  the 
country.  It  was  about  thirty  feet  long  and  eight 
feet  wide,  the  sides  rising  only  eighteen  inches  above 
the  surface  of  the  water,  while  the  ends  narrowed  to 
a  point  and  rose  high  in  the  air.  At  the  rear  a  long 
sweep  was  used  more  for  guiding  the  boat  than  for 
propelling  it.  At  the  prow  were  arranged  two  sets 
of  oars  and  seats  for  four  men.  It  would  require  the 
utmost  effort  of  five  men  to  force  the  boat  up  stream ; 
but  on  the  trip  down  little  labor  was  necessary  other 
than  the  effort  of  the  steersman.  These  unique 
boats  were  built  for  the  transportation  of  fuel  and 

35 


36  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

grain  up  and  down  a  stream,  filled  with  many  shal 
low  rapids. 

I  am  more  particular  in  the  description  of  this 
boat,  as  later  such  a  craft  figured  so  largely  in 
changing  the  course  of  events,  profoundly  affecting 
the  lives  of  those  whose  history  I  am  attempting  to 
relate. 

The  boat  was  bailed  out  and  washed,  matting 
laid  on  the  bottom,  and  an  awning  was  erected  over 
the  center,  covering  two  thirds  of  the  available  space. 
Provisions  were  stored  away  to  last  a  week.  Two 
dancing  girls  joined  us  at  the  last  moment.  We 
thought  they  were  necessary  to  relieve,  by  song  and 
story,  the  journey  of  any  tedium. 

Two  valets  increased  our  number  to  a  company  of 
eleven  persons — a  large  number  for  the  comfort  of 
two  young  men.  Yet  as  the  number  would  impress 
the  officials  and  the  Sung-ji  creditors  with  our 
standing,  and  debts  could  be  collected  easier,  the 
seeming  extravagance  would  be  a  matter  oi 
economy.  At  least  that  was  the  opinion  of  the  great 
Sung-ji. 

I  have  traveled  in  many  sections  of  the  country, 
and  in  other  lands  in  the  East,  but  I  have  never 
gazed  upon  any  scenery  more  beautiful  than  that 
along  the  great  Tong  River.  Nature  has  done 
everything  for  our  country,  while  man  has  done 
nothing. 

We  swept  down  over  the  rapids,  past  boats  loaded 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  37 

with  huge  piles  of  fuel,  past  others  working  their 
snaillike  pace  upstream,  past  scores  of  half-naked 
men  straining  and  tugging  their  way  up  the  rapids. 
Sometimes  these  Titans  of  the  river  seemed  to  be 
standing  still  in  midstream,  leaning  against  the  cur 
rent  and  straining  at  their  ropes  with  prodigious 
effort.  At  each  cry  of  their  leader,  "Oi-ha,"  a 
chorus  echoing  from  their  deep  chests  would  chant, 
"Oi-ha,"  their  muscles  would  bulge  and  the  boat 
would  start  an  inch,  a  foot,  a  yard,  then  smooth 
water  would  be  reached.  There  were  fishermen  in 
tiny  boats  with  large  strings  of  trout  tied  to  the 
stern  testifying  to  their  industry.  We  occasionally 
passed  ferries  filled  with  men,  women,  and  children, 
dressed  in  white  and  gaudy  colors.  They  were 
all  mixed  up  with  cattle,  horses,  and  donkeys,  the 
last  showing  their  discontent  by  prolonged  brays. 
The  sharp  hills  along  the  river  side ;  the  narrow  val 
leys  with  their  rich  grain;  the  rocky  cliffs,  pierced 
with  caves  at  the  water's  edge;  the  water  fowl, 
springing  into  the  air  in  front  of  our  boat;  the 
clouds,  with  their  lights  and  shadows  reflected  in 
the  water;  and  the  rapid  motion  of  the  boat,  gave 
one  a  feeling  of  exhilaration  and  delight. 

Tong-siki  always  proved  a  delightful  companion. 
He  had  a  philosophy  of  his  own,  and  the  disturbed 
times  of  the  last  decade  led  him  to  exercise  his  gifts 
with  great  diligence.  He  was  ever  poetic,  and  the 
river,  mountains,  fields  of  grain,  and  the  sky  filled 


38  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

with  banks  of  clouds,  seemed  to  inspire  him  with 
the  muses  on  all  such  occasions. 

He  gave  evidence  to  his  pleasure  by  repeating  to 
himself  snatches  of  poetry  from  the  classics,  adding 
now  and  then  a  line  of  his  own.  He  held  the  seers 
of  the  past  in  great  reverence,  but  was  naturally  in 
tolerant  of  control,  and  sometimes  he  did  violence 
to  those  old  masters.  His  presumption  in  quoting 
the  classics  with  his  own  productions  came  as  a  jar 
on  one's  pleasures. 

"Do  you  think  that  is  better?"  I  asked. 

"Hump,"  he  grunted,  and  looking  away,  hummed 
on. 

"You  love  Confucius,  do  you?"  he  finally  asked. 
"So  do  I.  How  much  has  he  done  for  us?  Did  he 
make  these  hills  and  valleys ;  these  fields,  trees,  flow 
ers,  lights  and  shadows?  No  one  can  appreciate 
more  than  I  the  great  volume  of  ethics  he  created, 
which  to  my  mind  has  made  us  what  we  are ;  but  as 
great  as  was  Confucius,  his  influence  did  not  in  the 
slightest  touch  the  millions  of  the  West,  among 
whom  are  also  great  peoples,  which  argues  that  his 
teachings  are  not  the  only  things  sacred.  If  Con 
fucius  is  more  sacred  in  our  thoughts  than  are  his 
writings,  then  a  man  is  above  anything  man  can 
create,  and,  Sung-yo,  we  are  men.  Admitting  that 
my  verses  are  dull,  yet  if  they  express  an  independ 
ent  personality,  why  should  they,  though  associated 
with  the  teachings  of  great  men,  be  discords  ? 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  39 

"I  have  heard  much  of  the  Western  foreigner," 
he  added,  after  a  pause.  "I  have  been  thinking  of 
him  and  his  teachings  in  relation  to  our  ideals.  Do 
you  know  where  I  went  when  I  was  absent  four 
months  ago  ?  I  did  not  tell  you  the  facts  when  I  let 
it  be  known  that  I  made  a  visit  to  an  uncle  a  hun 
dred  li  east  of  here.  I  had  an  unconquerable  desire 
to  see  the  foreigner  and  learn  the  character  of  his 
civilization,  so  made  a  trip  to  the  capital  for  that 
purpose." 

"Is  it  possible,"  I  gasped.  "Did  you  see  them? 
What  do  they  look  like  ?  Do  they  eat  human  flesh  ? 
Why  did  you  not  tell  me?" 

"Why,"  said  he,  indifferent  to  my  storm  of  ques 
tions,  but  glancing  curiously  at  me,  "you  look  like 
a  foreigner  when  you  do  that.  They  are  full  of  an 
imation.  I  do  not  know  what  they  eat  I  was  not  so 
much  interested  in  that  as  some  others  seem  to  be. 
While  they  know  nothing  of  Confucius,  they  do 
possess  a  system  of  ethics,  and  an  intellectual  wealth 
that  is  peculiarly  theirs.  They  are  really  a  cleanly 
people,  though  one  of  their  servants  told  me  that 
they  had  to  bathe  nearly  every  day  in  order  to  keep 
so.  Curious,  is  it  not,  when  we  keep  clean  by  bath 
ing  only  now  and  then,  and  that  during  the  summer 
months,"  he  added,  glancing  ruthfully  at  the  un 
kempt  appearance  of  his  servant.  "They  are  self- 
confident  and  have  piercing  eyes  that  make  one  feel 
uncomfortable." 


40  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

Here  Tong-siki  broke  into  a  great  laugh. 

"Why,"  said  he,  "they  sit  on  chairs  and  not  on 
the  floor  as  we  do — chairs  with  spindling  legs  that 
might  tip  over  or  break  down.  With  their  tight 
trousers  sitting  on  long-legged  chairs  they  look  like 
a  species  of  crab  that  I  have  seen.  I  was  invited  to 
try  one  of  these  chairs,  and  they  smiled  when  they 
saw  me  curl  my  feet  up  and  sit  as  I  would  on  a  mat. 
You  know  that  I  am  somewhat  of  an  athlete.  Well, 
I  kept  my  balance  without  accident.  They  walk  in 
their  houses  with  their  shoes  on;  but  that  which 
struck  me,  the  most  incongruous  of  all  is  the  claim 
of  the  superiority  of  their  religion  over  ours." 

Here  Tong-siki  paused. 

"Go  on,"  said  I,  "go  on."  I  dislike  his  philosophy 
at  times.  He  had  forgotten  his  mirth  and  was  so 
berly  looking  at  the  water. 

"I  suppose,"  he  continued,  "we  must  not  think  too 
much  of  their  barbaric  ways,  as  they  did  not  have 
Confucius  to  teach  them  self-control  and  politeness. 
True,  as  far  as  I  could  learn,  by  constant  question 
ing  of  those  who  are  the  most  intimately  connected 
with  them,  few  seem  to  have  vicious  habits,  but  in 
their  bearing  they  all  are  rudeness  itself.  They  seem 
to  have  money  and  dress  well,  and  must  be  of  good 
rank  in  their  own  country,  therefore  we  should  re 
gard  them  as  our  guests  while  they  are  here;  but 
instead  of  receiving  hospitality  with  becoming  mod 
esty,  they  assume  an  air  of  superiority,  and  are  ready 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  41 

to  argue  the  superiority  of  their  country  over  ours. 
They  never  speak  of  themselves  protestingly  when 
they  are  flattered  by  our  people,  but  seem  to  take  it 
for  granted  that  all  we  say  by  way  of  politeness  is 
true. 

"Would  you  believe  it,"  he  continued,  looking  im 
pressively  at  me,  "their  women  meet  all  visitors,  talk 
with  them,  and  they  are  treated  more  politely  by  the 
men  than  the  men  treat  each  other.  It  shocked  me 
at  first,  and  I  thought  there  must  be  something  ter 
ribly  wrong  with  such  a  people,  but  here  is  a  point 
that  puzzles  me.  Confucius  has  done  much  for 
us,  but  he  never  made  us  equal,  nor  womanhood 
respected.  Perhaps  the  foreigner  is  right,  and  they 
should  be  respected  and  put  on  a  plane  of  equality 
with  men,  but  how  can  we  respect  them,"  he  added, 
glancing  at  the  dancing  girls,  "when  those  on  whom 
we  put  the  most  effort  develop  to  nothing  better 
than  playthings?  But  then,"  he  mused,  "perhaps 
the  effort  might  be  in  a  better  direction." 

Fearing  his  philosophy  would  become  tiresome,  I 
said,  "What  do  the  foreigners  eat,  anyway?" 

"Eat,"  he  repeated,  "that  is  it.  We  Koreans  are 
everlastingly  thinking  of  what  we  may  eat." 

"Well,"  was  my  uninspired  reply,  "we  have  to  do 
it  three  times  a  day." 

"I  did  glance  through  a  window,"  said  he,  not 
noticing  my  remark,  "and  saw  them  on  their  spindle- 
legged  chairs  around  a  large  table,  as  large  as  the 


42  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

floors  of  some  houses,  filled  with  food  of  all  kinds 
except  rice.  Think  of  it,  no  rice  and  eating  without 
chopsticks !" 

"What!  with  their  fingers?"  I  asked. 

"No,  with  two-pronged  iron  things." 

"Why  don't  you  tell  me  more?"  I  impatiently 
asked. 

"Why — why,"  said  he,  "they  drove  me  away. 
Yes,  I  was  looking  in  an  open  window  from  a  re 
spectful  distance,  simply  taking  note  of  things,  when 
one  of  their  number  sprang  up  and  coming  to  the 
window  hurled  at  me  a  bone  that  he  had  been  pick 
ing,  and  shouted,  'Begone!'  using  the  lowest  lan 
guage.  Of  course  I  felt  the  insult,  but  then  you 
know  they  never  had  Confucius  to  teach  them  polite 
ness." 

I  was  surprised  at  Tong-sikPs  unusual  charita 
bleness.  He  is  a  large  man,  nearly  half  a  head  taller 
than  the  average,  with  a  massive  forehead,  forceful 
of  character  and  always  ready  to  resent  a  wrong  or 
an  insult.  I  had  known  him  most  of  my  life,  and 
while  he  did  not  come  of  a  family  of  rank,  I  had 
the  most  profound  respect  for  him.  Wherever  he 
moved  he  unconsciously  assumed  the  bearing  of  a 
master,  and  seemed  to  fret  at  the  conditions  that  ob 
tained  in  Korean  society  and  in  the  government.  It 
was  sometimes  whispered  that  at  heart  he  was  dis 
loyal  to  his  Majesty  and  would  some  day  be  heading 
a  revolt.  When  such  gossip  came  to  him  he  would 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  43 

laugh,  and  on  one  occasion  was  heard  to  remark: 
"There  is  not  cohesive  force  enough  in  the  Korean 
heart  to  permit  them  to  hang  together  long  enough 
to  drive  a  mink  out  of  his  hole,  to  say  nothing 
of  seizing  an  intolerable  magistrate,  or  facing  a 
Western  rifle  in  the  hands  of  his  Majesty's  troops." 

The  simple  remark  convinced  many  that  he  was 
a  dangerous  man. 

That  night  as  I  lay  on  a  mat  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  I  watched  Tong-siki,  his  head  strongly  out 
lined  against  the  sky.  I  thought  of  our  boyhood 
companionship,  and  all  that  his  rugged  strength  had 
meant  to  me.  I  believed  him  capable  of  heroic  deeds 
and  trusted  him,  and  his  presence  made  me  glad ;  but 
little  did  I  think  of  the  tragic  events  that  lay  in  the 
hand  of  destiny  waiting  for  my  friend. 

The  first  night  on  the  river,  some  two  hours  after 
sunset,  we  tied  up  to  a  bank  in  front  of  a  fishing 
village  and  found  an  inn  for  our  party.  As  I  rose  to 
move  from  the  boat  two  of  the  servants  ran  to  aid 
me  up  the  slippery  bank.  I  willingly  leaned  on  them 
as  is  the  custom  of  all  our  delicately  raised  people. 
Tong-siki,  however,  was  at  the  top  of  the  bank  as 
soon  as  the  boat  touched  shore,  and  had  found  the 
inn  before  the  slow-moving  servants  began  to  think 
of  it. 

The  inn  was  one  of  those  generally  provided  for 
travelers  in  the  interior.  With  its  tiled  roof,  it  stood 
out  in  strong  contrast  with  the  thatched  roofs  of  all 


44  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

its  neighbors.  Most  of  the  houses  in  the  vicinity 
could  boast  of  only  two  rooms.  There  were  four 
rooms  to  this  particular  inn.  The  one  occupied  by 
Tong-siki  and  myself  and  our  two  servants,  was 
eight  by  ten  feet.  The  dancing  girls  took  up  their 
quarters  in  the  women's  apartments,  and  the  rest  of 
the  party  were  distributed  about  the  building  to  suit 
their  own  convenience.  I  did  not  know  then  of  the 
contrast  between  our  native  inns  and  those  of  other 
peoples  that  I  have  visited  in  later  years.  The  room 
we  occupied  was  innocent  of  any  pretensions  to  com 
fort,  absolutely  without  an  article  of  furniture.  I 
stooped  low  in  order  not  to  break  my  hat  on  enter 
ing  the  door.  The  roof  beams  were  low,  requiring 
one  to  dodge  in  walking  the  length  of  the  room.  As 
is  the  case  in  all  our  houses  the  walls  were  of  mud. 
They  were  not  papered,  and  the  rafters  above  were 
black  with  smoke.  Straw  mats  on  the  floor  were 
our  beds,  and  blocks  of  wood  were  the  pillows  for 
our  heads. 

The  innkeeper,  knowing  who  we  were,  and  being 
anxious  to  please  those  of  rank,  did  everything  pos 
sible  for  our  comfort.  Regardless  of  the  warm 
weather,  he  built  a  great  fire  under  the  floor,  but  we 
were  used  to  hot  floors  and  accepted  his  politeness  in 
the  spirit  it  was  intended.  When  he  brought  the 
evening  meal,  he  protested  that  it  was  hardly  worth 
giving  to  the  dogs,  and  how  could  he  presume  to 
offer  it  to  gentlemen  of  such  high  breeding?  Would 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  45 

we  condescend  to  pardon  him  for  such  unintended 
insult  ?  We  assured  him  that  the  rice,  for  there  was 
little  else,  was  of  the  most  delicious  flavor,  and  that 
the  spirits  must  be  kind  to  him  to  enable  him  to  sea 
son  it  to  such  delicacy  for  such  unworthy  guests  as 
we.  He  bowed  low  and  backed  out  of  our  presence. 

I  have  since  seen  among  the  Western  peoples  many 
great  and  gilded  inns.  They  were  many  stories  high, 
with  large  retinues  of  servants;  but  instead  of  the 
delicate  politeness  showed  us  by  our  host,  the  guests 
were  gazed  at  with  a  cold,  critical  stare,  and  the 
service  rendered  grudgingly,  as  if  the  guests  were 
being  put  under  great  obligations.  We  lack  many 
things  in  our  country,  and  we  are  poor — how  very 
poor !  yet  we  have  a  great  wealth  of  politeness.  If 
consideration  for  the  feelings  of  our  fellows  is  a  cri 
terion  of  civilization,  in  comparing  us  with  other  na 
tions,  I  wonder  where  the  great  Judge  of  the  world 
would  place  my  people. 

A  bit  of  cloth  hanging  from  the  edge  of  a  cup 
filled  with  castor  oil  served  as  a  lamp.  We  lay  down 
for  the  night  and  left  our  lamp  burning,  as  is  our 
custom.  Tong-siki  spread  a  fresh  mat  that  he  had 
brought  up  from  the  boat,  and  lay  with  his  gaze 
turned  upward  at  a  bit  of  cloth  and  paper  fastened 
to  a  cross  beam  in  the  center  of  the  room. 

"I  suppose,"  he  finally  said,  meditatively,  as  if 
talking  to  the  rags,  "should  I  pull  it  down  the  inn 
keeper  would  be  angry,  and  all  the  demons  of  the 


46  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

air  would  be  set  loose  and  attack  this  house  with  fire ; 
that  the  rat  disease  would  begin  crawling  up  the  legs 
of  the  inmates  of  this  home,  and  endanger  all  who 
stop  here,  and  the  posterity  of  this  clan  would  be  cut 
off  from  the  land  of  the  living.  I  suppose,  should  I 
pull  it  down,  I  would  have  ill  luck  all  my  life,  and 
that  these  servants  of  ours  would  eat  beans  and  po 
tatoes  without  rice  ever  afterward;  and  that  you, 
Sung-yo,  would  be  heartbroken  over  the  loss  of  your 
intended  bride,  and  in  the  end  get  someone  not  as 
pretty  as  she.  You  might,  indeed,  be  so  terribly  un 
fortunate  as  to  secure  someone  not  deformed.  What 
a  blessing  it  is  that  we  have  so  many  rags  to  hang  up, 
and  what  a  blessing  it  is  that  the  demons  are  such 
fools  that  they  can  be  propitiated  by  these  things! 
How  grateful  we  ought  to  be  for  what  these  demons 
have  done  for  us  to-night!  They  have  graciously 
provided  this  hot,  vermin-infested  floor  with  its 
greasy,  wood  pillows.  How  good  we  are  to  propi 
tiate  them  while  the  officials  squeeze  us  of  our  living ! 
That  being  the  case,  these  demons  must  be  for  the 
aid  of  the  officials  and  have  no  place  in  a  poor  man's 
home." 

Suddenly,  Tong-siki  sprang  to  his  feet  and  hurled 
the  fetish  into  a  corner.  I  was  horrified  at  such  athe 
ism  and  insult  to  the  gods,  and  wondered  if  my 
friend  had  gone  stark  mad.  He  looked  into  my 
face  and  laughed;  then  went  over  to  the  corner, 
picked  up  the  fetish  and  hung  it  back  on  its  nail. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  47 

Fortunately  our  two  companions  were  asleep,  and 
did  not  see  the  insult  offered  the  spirits,  or  the  house 
would  have  been  in  an  uproar. 

"Why?"  I  gasped,  on  recovering  from  my  aston 
ishment. 

He  laughed  softly  to  himself,  as  he  often  did 
when  a  boy  after  accomplishing  some  unusual  feat. 
He  then  lay  down  and  was  immediately  sound 
asleep.  It  did  not  occur  to  me  till  long  afterward 
that  the  act  was  a  studied  purpose  to  set  me  thinking 
over  our  foolish  superstitions. 


CHAPTER  V 
A  MAGISTRATE 

ON  the  evening  of  the  third  day  of  our  journey 
we  reached  the  great  city  of  Pyeng-Yang.  I  had  vis 
ited  it  several  times  before,  but  the  city  always  held 
for  me  the  same  fascinating  interest,  for  the  tradi 
tions  of  our  race  center  round  these  hills  and  valleys. 
Our  country  is  hoary  with  age.  The  tramp  of  hu 
man  feet,  shod  with  the  light  sandal,  has  worn  deep 
gulleys  through  the  rugged  mountain  passes,  and 
this  city  heard  the  footfall  of  the  first  company 
whose  feet  touched  these  virgin  hills,  for  that  com 
pany  was  its  creator. 

Just  before  sunset  our  boat  swung  around  the 
bend  of  the  river,  and  the  city  presented  itself  to  our 
view — lovely,  with  the  sunshine  gilding  her  hill 
tops  and  the  rugged  towers  of  her  gates.  The  north 
end  of  the  city,  located  high  on  a  ridge  of  rocks  that 
lined  the  river,  turned  upward  like  the  stern  of  our 
boat.  From  that  point  the  wall  swept  gracefully 
downward  along  the  riverside,  and  in  the  distance 
seemed  again  to  rise  exactly  like  the  prow  of  our 
boat.  Indeed,  the  singular  resemblance  has  led  many 
to  imagine  the  city  designed  by  some  ancient  deity 
in  the  shape  of  a  boat,  and  they  have  carried  out  the 

48 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  49 

idea  by  erecting  pillars  of  stone  out  in  a  plain,  to 
which,  it  is  said,  the  city  is  moored.  The  digging 
of  wells  has  been  prohibited  for  centuries  for  fear 
of  piercing  the  bottom  which  would  admit  a  flood, 
and  thus  drown  all  the  inhabitants.  I  am  of  the 
opinion,  however,  that  if  the  water  had  been  of  a 
better  quality  the  prohibition  would  never  have  been. 
One  would  not  think  from  the  city's  present  deca 
dent  state,  that  at  one  time  it  was  the  dictator  of 
elegance  for  the  East;  Pyeng-Yang  was  our  ancient 
capital,  and  from  her  artisans  Japan  has  learned 
many  things  for  which  she  has  now  become  famous. 
Her  high  rank  in  letters  and  art  to-day  are  the  fruits 
of  Korean  industry  and  learning.  Japan  learned 
how  to  worship  at  our  hands;  all  the  ancient  reli 
gions  she  has  worth  possessing  came  from  our  seers. 
Our  country  is  full  of  monuments  of  our  successful 
warfare,  and  we  have  again  and  again  beaten  the 
armies  of  the  Island  Kingdom  to  their  knees  and 
driven  them  from  our  shores.  The  city  well  de 
serves  the  name  of  a  boat,  as  it  has  been  the  bearer 
of  blessings  to  millions  of  people ;  but,  alas !  there  is 
little  left  that  would  suggest  her  famous  history. 
Her  golden  age  passed  with  the  removal  of  the  palace 
to  the  South  country.  The  great  frowning  walls  and 
the  lofty  gates,  the  stately  river,  the  governor's  and 
the  magistrate's  residences,  and  the  temple  of  the 
God  of  War,  are  the  only  things  left  that  suggest 
her  past  greatness. 


50  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

As  we  approached  the  city  profound  quietness 
prevailed.  The  rat-tat-tat  of  the  washerwoman  at 
the  riverside,  the  jingle  of  bells  on  pack-ponies,  and 
the  occasional  barking  of  a  dog  were  the  only 
sounds  that  reached  us.  Nothing  was  heard  to  sug 
gest  the  presence  of  thousands  of  people  crowded 
together  beyond  these  walls.  Its  quietness  made  one 
feel  as  if  one  were  approaching  a  beleaguered  city. 
The  silence  came  over  me  as  a  great  sadness.  Tong- 
siki  is  right,  I  thought,  a  terrible  death  has  settled 
down  upon  her  people,  and  down  in  my  heart  I 
echoed  the  cry  of  a  man  I  once  saw  suffering  under 
the  paddle  of  a  magistrate.  Life!  life!  O,  give  us 
life! 

We  entered  the  great  East  Gate,  over  which  hangs 
a  chain  taken  as  a  trophy  from  the  American  steamer 
destroyed  in  our  river  many  years  ago.  The  scene 
inside  the  city  was  all  animation,  not  the  wild  rush 
that  I  have  since  observed  in  American  and  British 
concessions  of  the  Chinese  ports,  but  a  dignified  mod 
eration  of  which  the  East  has  always  been  proud.  I 
have  pondered  much  over  the  contrasted  peculiari 
ties  of  the  East  and  West,  and  I  protest  against  the 
popular  insinuation  that  our  poverty  is  the  result  of 
our  moderation.  It  seems  to  me  childish  to  scream 
and  rush  after  one's  dollars ;  to  be  indifferent  to  the 
immaculate  character  of  one's  suit  while  one  works ; 
to  contort  the  face ;  to  laugh  with  abandon ;  to  leap 
and  run;  to  enjoy  the  hurly-burly  of  competition. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  51 

Such  things  bewilder  one  and  border  on  violence. 
We  love  self- repression,  dignity  of  carriage,  and 
calm  demeanor.  Reflection  and  moderation  are  the 
ideals  of  our  sages,  yet  foreigners  refer  to  us  as 
childish.  I  think  they  mean  by  that  the  smallness  of 
our  ideas  and  our  petty  prejudices. 

We  urged  our  way  through  a  great  mass  of  peo 
ple,  a  sea  of  white,  mixed  with  green  and  pink.  It 
was  the  close  of  a  market  day,  and  the  streets  were 
filled  with  countrymen  in  their  great  hats,  rims  nine 
feet  in  circumference,  and  women  of  the  city  with 
hats  twice  the  size.  In  the  jam  a  hat  would  be 
caught  now  and  then  and  crushed,  and  the  owner, 
turning,  would  scowl,  and  give  vent  to  his  resent 
ment  by  revilings,  but  not  addressing  anyone  in  par 
ticular.  No  one  noticed  and  no  one  cared.  To  have 
noticed  would  have  been  an  acknowledgment  of  an 
insult  which  would  have  caused  the  loss  of  one's  dig 
nity.  Everybody  moved,  jostled,  got  in  everyone's 
way,  yet  there  was  no  undue  hurrying. 

In  some  places  shops  crowded  nearly  to  the  mid 
dle  of  the  street,  leaving  only  a  narrow  lane  for  the 
crowds.  Most  of  the  shops  were  small ;  the  keeper, 
sitting  on  the  floor,  could  reach  all  his  goods.  Oc 
casionally  a  man  dressed  in  the  livery  of  a  yamen 
runner  would  force  his  way  through  the  mass  of 
people.  Their  bearing  is  always  insolent,  and  the 
people  give  way  with  reluctance  to  these  who  are 
the  most  hated  among  all  Korea's  millions. 


52  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

We  had  not  been  in  the  street  more  than  ten 
minutes  when  I  noticed  a  great  commotion  at  the 
farther  end.  The  white  mass  of  people  were  sway 
ing  and  surging  down  the  street  and  out  into  the 
side  alleyways.  Soon  calls  of  "Clear  the  way," 
were  heard.  Uniformed  outrunners  of  the  magis 
trate  appeared,  swinging  long  sticks  and  clubs,  revil 
ing  and  clubbing  the  people  indiscriminately. 
Closely  following  upon  their  heels  was  the  magis 
trate's  chair  with  its  crowd  of  bearers  and  followers 
in  bright  livery — white,  blue  and  purple.  The  magis 
trate  sat  with  an  imperturbable  face  looking  straight 
ahead — one  of  those  vain,  self-indulgent  faces,  yet 
withal  carrying  a  self-deprecatory  expression  worn 
by  most  of  our  officials,  which  the  people  have 
learned  too  well  to  mistake  for  sincerity. 

I  had  been  so  engrossed  with  the  crowd  and  the 
many  new  sights  that  I  had  not  noticed  Tong-siki 
since  wre  landed,  except  that  I  was  dimly  conscious 
that  he  was  at  my  side.  As  the  runners  approached, 
I  joined  the  general  panic  and  fled.  Reaching  the 
entrance  to  a  side  alley  I  glanced  back,  and  to  my 
amazement  saw  Tong-siki  in  the  middle  of  the 
street,  on  his  face  the  mild  look  of  a  wondering  coun 
tryman.  Had  he  gone  mad?  I  asked  myself. 

The  nearest  runner  rushed  upon  him  and  swung 
his  stick  menacingly.  "Clear  the  way!  clear  the 
way !"  he  shouted.  "You  foul  vermin !  you  offspring 
of  dogs!" 


E\VA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  53 

Tong-siki  stood,  his  eyes  growing  large  and 
round  in  surprised  wonder.  The  club  was  raised  and 
aimed  violently  at  Tong-siki's  head.  The  interrup 
tion  was  so  sudden  and  unexpected,  and  the  onrush  so 
great  that  a  dozen  men  were  instantly  in  the  mixup. 
The  club  fell,  striking  Tong-siki  on  the  shoulder, 
but  divided  its  force  more  heavily  on  the  head  of 
one  of  the  magistrate's  servants.  The  blow  half 
stunned  the  runner  for  a  moment,  then  he  turned  his 
own  club  upon  the  man  who  had  struck  him.  Tong- 
siki,  seemingly  stupid  a  moment  ago,  was  awake 
in  an  instant,  and  rushed  for  the  crowd  in  which 
he  would  have  been  hidden  had  not  the  magistrate 
arrived,  and  being  compelled  to  halt,  the  servants  in 
the  rear  of  his  chair  pushed  forward.  They  seeing 
a  fleeing  man  with  a  broken  hat,  seized  and  held  him. 
The  two  runners  at  the  front  had  gone  mad.  They 
had  dropped  their  clubs  and  were  wringing  and 
twisting  at  each  other's  topknots,  while  general  con 
fusion  prevailed.  Companions  were  trying  to  sepa 
rate  the  combatants,  while  the  chair  bearers  were 
calling  to  clear  the  way  for  his  excellency,  the  mag 
istrate.  Finally  the  two  men  were  pushed  into  an 
alley,  where  they  were  separated  and  the  procession 
proceeded.  In  a  twinkling  Tong-siki's  hands  were 
tied  behind  him.  A  rope  was  passed  around  his  neck 
in  front  and  tied  back,  so  that  the  weight  of  his  hands 
would  easily  choke  him.  With  a  kick  and  a  curse  he 
was  ordered  on. 


54  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

All  had  happened  so  quickly  that  I  had  not  even 
begun  to  think  till  I  saw  them  push  Tong-siki  for 
ward;  then  I  ran  for  the  magistrate's  chair  to  pro 
test.  A  club  was  raised  and  I  dodged.  Tong-siki 
glanced  at  me  and  smiled  with  a  look  of  proud 
dignity. 

Greatly  disturbed  in  mind,  I  followed  to  the 
yamen's  gate,  and  remained  about  the  gate  with  our 
two  servants  as  companions  till  nearly  midnight, 
without  gaining  any  information  regarding  my 
friend.  Finally,  greatly  dejected,  we  found  our  way 
to  the  inn,  where  the  innkeeper,  knowing  of  our 
calamity,  had  provided  everything  for  our  comfort. 
True  to  the  spirit  of  all  our  people,  he  regarded  the 
victim  of  the  magistrate  with  a  feeling  of  respect  and 
deepest  solicitude.  So  great  is  this  feeling  against 
the  official  class  that  sometimes  even  a  criminal  is  re 
garded  as  a  hero. 

"What  possessed  Tong-siki  to  deliberately  place 
himself  in  the  way  of  violence  and  arrest?"  was 
asked  a  score  of  times  without  an  answer.  No  one 
knew  better  than  he  that  it  would  mean  days  of 
imprisonment,  and  cruel  beatings ;  and  probably  the 
magistrate  would  make  it  an  occasion  for  squeezing 
him  of  all  the  lands  he  possessed  in  this  section  of 
the  country.  As  used  as  I  was  to  Tong-siki's  im 
pulsive  ways,  I  was  utterly  bewildered  and  could 
make  nothing  of  it  all.  I  tossed  upon  my  mat  till 
daylight,  resolving  that  if  I  could  not  get  audience 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  55 

with  the  magistrate  I  would  hasten  overland  the 
next  day  and  place  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  my 
father,  whose  rank  would  unlock  any  prison  door  in 
the  province. 

I  dozed  off  into  a  sleep,  and  awoke  with  a  start  to 
find  my  room  door  wide  open  and  the  sun  streaming 
in.  The  scenes  of  yesterday  came  back  as  a  flood, 
and  I  struggled  with  the  problem  of  Tong-siki's 
rescue,  when  suddenly  a  shadow  fell  across  the  floor, 
and  springing  up  I  was  speechless  with  amazement ; 
there  sat  Tong-siki  smiling  at  me.  I  pulled  him 
into  the  room,  held  his  hand,  and  plied  him  with 
questions.  He  laughed  at  my  caresses. 

"How  did  you  get  away?  What  did  you  do  it 
for?  Where  have  you  come  from?  and  you  have  a 
new  suit!" 

"Well,"  said  he,  when  I  gave  him  a  chance  to 
speak,  "I  did  not  know  that  you  really  cared  for  me 
before,"  and  he  laughed  heartily. 

Others  came  into  the  room  expectant  with  curios 
ity,  while  two  yamen  runners  stood  obsequiously 
at  the  door. 

"You  may  go  now,"  said  he  authoritatively  turn 
ing  to  the  two  men.  With  a  prolonged  "Ya-a-a," 
and  a  low  bow  they  withdrew.  To  my  inquiring 
glance  he  said: 

"They  are  the  two  who  conducted  me  here  this 
morning  as  a  mark  of  honor." 

Tong-siki  maintained  a  profound  gravity  while 


56  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

the  morning  meal  was  being  brought,  and  at  last, 
piqued  at  his  indifference  to  my  curiosity  at  the  wiz- 
ardlike  trick,  I  assumed  utter  indifference  to  the 
whole  affair,  which  seemed  to  amuse  him  hugely.  At 
the  close  of  the  meal  he  suggested  a  walk,  and  as 
soon  as  we  were  beyond  the  house  he  said : 

"You  know  I  could  not  talk  with  all  those  people 
about.  It  was  enough  for  them  to  know  that  the 
magistrate  had  honored  me.  Last  night  I  was 
thrown  into  the  common  prison  and  left  there.  I 
slept  fairly  well,  better  than  you  did,  perhaps,"  he 
added,  glancing  humorously  in  my  face.  "In  the 
morning  the  magistrate  called  me  up  for  examina 
tion.  It  happened  that  the  man  ordered  to  lead  me 
out  was  the  one  who  had  struck  me  the  night  before. 
His  head  was  bandaged,  and  he  looked  sour  and 
ugly  enough.  I  stood  bareheaded  like  any  criminal 
waiting  for  the  magistrate  to  appear.  Presently  he 
came,  half  carried  by  servants,  one  on  either  side,  in 
the  helpless  fashion  that  always  nauseates  me.  A 
servant  filled  his  pipe,  another  lit  it,  while  another 
brought  his  large  glasses  and  adjusted  them  to  his 
nose.  After  rolling  his  eyes  several  times  in  a 
proper,  languid  dignity,  he  peered  over  his  glasses 
at  me — for  he  could  not  see  through  them.  I  had 
been  ordered  down  on  my  knees  with  my  face  to  the 
ground.  I  refused,  and  the  man  nearest  me  seized 
my  hair  with  the  intention  of  forcing  me  down. 

"  'Beware  P  said  I,  'in  the  name  of  the  great  Kim 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  57 

Sung-ji.'  He  hastily  retreated.  At  that  moment 
the  magistrate  saw  me  standing,  and  his  face  grew 
purple  with  anger  at  the  insult.  'Bind  him !  down 
with  him ;'  he  ordered,  with  a  string  of  invectives. 

"Two  of  my  captors  sprang  to  execute  the  order. 
Stepping  quickly  in  front  of  the  magistrate  I  said, 
'Do  you  know  whom  you  are  ordering  bound  ?'  He 
lifted  his  hand  to  hold  his  minions  in  check  and 
gazed  a  moment  in  my  face,  and  grew  white  to  the 
lips. 

E  'You  know  me,  do  you,  Nam-yoi  ?'  said  I.  'You. 
almost  forgot  who  gave  you  your  office.  You  also 
forgot  that  if  you  had  struck  me  your  official  head 
would  have  paid  the  price.  Who  are  you  and  your 
minions  here  who  ride  down  citizens  on  the  streets, 
arrest,  imprison  and  beat  your  superiors  and  those 
who  have  made  you?  You  shall  give  account  of 
yesterday's  work  before  the  Emperor/  I  did  not 
stop  here,  but  said  many  things  that  I  do  not  want 
to  repeat  even  to  you.  I  suppose  I  ought  not  to 
have  been  angry,"  he  added,  soberly,  "as  I  had 
brought  it  all  upon  myself,  but  I  was  enraged  at  the 
injustice  practiced  upon  our  people.  His  humiliation 
was  complete.  Sliding  down  from  his  seat  in  the 
presence  of  his  underlings  he  led  me  to  his  chair, 
got  down  on  the  floor,  bumped  his  head  at  my  feet, 
and  implored  my  forgiveness.  On  promising  to  cor 
rect  his  habits  of  squeezing  I  let  him  off.  Of  course 
I  did  not  intend  to  do  otherwise. 


58  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"Last  night  when  I  saw  him  coming  down  the 
street  I  simply  intended  to  interrupt  his  attack  on 
the  people,  and  publicly  rebuke  him,  but  affairs  went 
further  than  I  had  intended.  Yes,"  Tong-siki 
added,  "he  gave  me  this  hat  and  suit  of  silk  to  take 
the  place  of  the  one  ruined  in  the  squabble  last  night, 
and  urged  many  other  things  upon  me  which  I  re 
fused  to  accept,  things  which  under  any  other  cir 
cumstances  politeness  would  have  compelled  me  to 
comply  with.  I  refused  to  accept  a  palanquin  and 
runners,  and  returned  here  with  only  the  two  men 
you  saw  at  the  door. 

"While  I  was  with  your  father  in  the  capital  two 
years  ago  I  asked  him  to  help  this  man  to  office, 
which  he  did.  This  accounts  for  my  influence  over 
him.  Of  course  he  overestimates  my  influence  at 
the  capital,  and  if  your  father  should  die  I  would 
have  less  than  he,  but  of  this  he  knows  nothing.  If 
at  any  time  I  were  to  fall  into  his  power  I  would  not 
give  a  bowl  of  rice  for  the  chance  of  my  life." 

Tong-siki  made  the  last  remarks  with  a  look  of 
profound  gravity,  and  years  later  it  came  back  to 
me  with  the  force  of  prophecy. 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  FOREIGNER 

THE  most  interesting  feature  of  our  trip  was  the 
opportunity  to  see  a  Western  foreigner.  I  was  walk 
ing  on  the  embankment  that  forms  the  inside  of  the 
city  wall,  when  suddenly  around  the  bend,  some  dis 
tance  in  advance  of  me,  I  saw  a  crowd  running 
eagerly  toward  the  wall.  Possessing  my  share  of 
the  curiosity  that  marks  our  Eastern  people  as 
peculiar,  I  hastened  on  to  see  what  it  was  that  caused 
the  commotion.  The  crowd  was  approaching,  and 
soon  I  saw  it  all.  A  man  dressed  in  black,  gigantic 
in  stature,  was  surrounded  by  an  excited,  jabbering 
crowd.  A  tiger  shown  on  the  street  could  not  have 
excited  such  curiosity.  I  stood  still  and  waited  for 
them  to  come  up,  and  like  the  rest  of  the  crowd  I 
was  soon  absorbed  in  gazing  at  the  strange  appari 
tion.  He  came  on  with  now  and  then  a  glance  at 
the  mob  at  his  heels.  From  his  shoulders  up  he 
towered  above  everyone  else.  He  had  light-brown 
hair  and  blue  eyes  that  were  set  deep  beneath  over 
hanging  brows,  and  his  skin  was  whiter  than  that  of 
a  woman.  A  black  beard  covered  his  face  and  hung 
down  on  his  chest  in  a  great  mass.  His  forehead 
was  high  and  nose  prominent  He  glanced  at  me 


60  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

with  no  unkindly  light  in  his  eyes,  and,  as  he  turned 
to  look  out  over  the  city  wall,  I  was  emboldened 
like  many  others  to  feel  of  his  clothes  to  find  out 
their  texture,  and  to  feel  of  his  shoes.  The  latter 
were  of  leather,  different  from  anything  that  I  had 
seen.  As  large  as  he  was,  his  feet  seemed  mon 
strous.  Fortunately  he  understood  little  of  our  lan 
guage,  for  the  remarks  made  by  the  crowd  were  not 
at  all  flattering. 

"A  real  foreign  devil !  This  is  a  real  one !  A 
real  one!"  passed  from  lip  to  lip. 

"I-go !  isn't  he  large !  What  would  you  do  if  he 
should  get  hold  of  you?  Look  at  those  feet  and 
those  hands,  too!  Has  he  got  five  fingers  and  five 
toes?  Look  and  see." 

"I-go-o!  look  at  the  whiskers  and  the  black 
clothes.  He  must  wear  black  to  hide  that  of  which 
he  is  ashamed !" 

"What  does  he  eat?" 

"Where  is  his  woman  ?  Did  he  bring  it  ?  Has  it 
whiskers,  too  ?" 

"What  is  he  here  for?    Will  he  leave  soon?" 

"Look  out!  he  is  turning  around.  Let's  follow 
him,  ha-ha!  he-he!" 

These  and  a  thousand  other  questions  were  asked 
from  scores  of  throats  without  waiting  for  or  ex 
pecting  answers.  We  followed  him  to  a  house  near 
the  city  wall  where  he  was  stopping.  The  crowd 
surged  into  the  yard  and  rudely  swung  the  door 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  61 

open,  and  many  crowded  in.  With  others  I  retired 
to  the  outside  gate  and  listened  to  the  remarks  and 
speculations  regarding  the  Westerner.  He  was  a 
physician,  it  was  said,  and  was  kindly  disposed  to 
ward  the  people.  Many  had  been  helped,  and  some 
healed  of  their  diseases  under  his  ministrations ;  and 
the  strangest  part  of  it  was  that  there  were  some 
who  admitted  that  they  were  followers  of  the  new 
faith.  They  called  it  the  "Yasu-kyo." 

You  always  find  some  one  in  a  crowd  who  is  ready 
to  assume  the  role  of  an  oracle.  A  thin-faced  fellow 
with  a  sinister  looking  mouth,  holding  by  the  hand 
a  little  girl  whom  by  her  dress  it  was  easy  to  see  he 
was  training  for  a  professional  dancing  girl,  worked 
his  way  to  the  middle  of  the  crowd,  and  loudly 
cleared  his  throat  to  draw  attention. 

"Tell  us,  Ho-yongi,"  they  said,  turning  to  him 
and  giving  him  room,  "tell  us  about  him." 

"O,  yes/'  someone  shouted,  "how  much  squeeze 
did  you  get  out  of  that  land  purchased  for  the  for 
eigner?" 

"Ho-yongi?"  I  had  heard  that  name  before.  A 
fellow  who  lived  close  to  the  magistrate  and  acted  as 
a  tool  to  do  all  his  dirty  work.  If  he  were  a  trusted 
agent  of  the  Westerner  I  wanted  little  to  do  with  the 
latter. 

Ho-yongi  waited  until  all  had  fixed  their  atten 
tion  upon  him. 

"Do  you  know  what  he  is  here  for?"  he  asked,  im- 


62  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

pressively.  "He  is  here  to  build  hospitals,  erect 
churches  and  school  buildings,  as  they  say  they  are 
doing  at  the  capital.  He  is  here,  and  more  are 
coming  like  him,  to  turn  our  old  faith  upside  down. 
The  Christians  care  nothing  about  Buddha,  or  Con 
fucius,  and  they  hate  our  fetishes." 

"Did  you  hear  him  tell  anything  about  that?" 
someone  shouted. 

"Why,  I  should  think  so,"  was  the  reply.  "Do 
you  think  I  am  deaf?  What  do  you  think  I  have 
been  spending  the  last  month  with  this  man  for  ?" 

"For  a  squeeze,"  someone  shouted. 

"He  tells  all  sorts  of  lies,"  he  continued,  ignoring 
the  interruption.  "He  says  that  in  his  country  they 
have  horses  three  times  as  large  as  ours,  and  houses 
that  are  ten  times  as  high  as  ours,  and  that  they  have 
fire  machines  that  run  on  iron  roads,  and  will  out 
run  our  best  donkey  and  carry  five  hundred  men  at 
once.  He  told  us  one  night  that  the  world  is  round" 
— here  Ho-yongi  paused  to  give  the  right  impres 
sion. 

"O!  that  is  easy,"  someone  said;  "round  like  a 
cash.  Look  about  you  as  far  as  you  can  see,  it  is 
round." 

"No,"  replied  Ho-yongi,  in  deep  disgust,  "round 
like  a  ball.  The  sun  stands  still  and  the  earth  turns 
around  once  every  day  and  night,  and  he  thought  we 
were  fools  enough  to  believe  that.  Anyone  knows 
that  if  we  turned  over  we  would  fall  off  from  the 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  63 

other  side."     They  all  laughed  heartily,  while  Ho- 
yongi  continued : 

"This  fellow  is  harmless;  he  knows  little  of  our 
language,  and  visitors  guy  him  continually.  It  is 
lots  of  fun.  He  has  with  him  a  man  who  has  be 
come  a  Christian,  a  man  born  somewhere  off  in  the 
country,  who  has  little  learning,  and  his  hands  are 
as  rough  as  a  dog's  paw.  He  has  been  living  in  the 
capital  for  several  years,  and  I  think  in  consequence 
of  the  chance  it  gives  him  to  squeeze  all  the  money 
he  wants  he  has  adopted  their  religion.  He  is, 
withal,  an  impudent  fellow.  I  invited  him  to  my 
house,  and  offered  him  wine,  but  under  the  plea  of 
his  religion  he  insulted  my  house  and  broke  the  first 
law  of  etiquette  by  refusing  to  drink.  He  is  always 
urging  every  one  he  meets  to  become  a  Christian.  I 
have  never  found  out  how  much  he  gets  a  head  for 
converts.  I  offered  to  bring  in  any  number  of  fel 
lows  to  do  the  doctrine  if  he  would  divide  with  me. 
He  denied  that  that  was  what  he  was  after.  Evi 
dently  he  wants  it  all  himself.  I  tell  you  what," 
Ho-yongi  said,  pausing  and  looking  impressively 
around  the  circle,  "there  is  something  sinister  in  their 
presence  here ;  some  deep  deviltry  in  it  all."  Lower 
ing  his  voice,  he  continued,  "It  is  reported  that  in 
Seoul  these  same  foreign  doctors  caught  babies  and 
boiled  them  up  in  huge  caldrons,  and  made  medicine 
with  which  to  practice  their  dark  arts.  I  am  keeping 
a  close  watch  over  them,  and  it  will  not  take  me  long 


64  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

to  get  to  the  bottom  of  their  scheme,  then  you  will 
hear  from  me." 

We  all  stood  and  stared  with  mouths  wide  open 
as  Ho-yongi  and  his  dancing  girl  withdrew  and 
closed  the  compound  gate  after  them  with  the  air  of 
privileged  persons. 

The  crowd  gradually  scattered  and  sought  their 
homes.  It  was  evident  that  Ho-yongi's  last  re 
marks  had  made  a  deep  impression. 

In  a  few  days  mutterings  spread  throughout  the 
city  and  came  echoing  back  like  a  voice  against  a 
cliff,  distorted  and  enlarged.  Then  I  recalled  the 
malignant  face  of  Ho-yongi,  and  withheld  my 
judgment.  It  was  soon  circulated  that  the  governor 
contemplated  taking  measures  to  expel  the  foreigner 
from  the  city. 

I  had  seen  little  of  Tong-siki  for  several  days, 
and  had  had  no  chance  to  talk  of  these  matters,  the 
pressure  of  business  matters  having  claimed  hjis 
whole  attention.  He  had  presented  several  accounts 
to  the  magistrate  for  him  to  collect,  which  had  led 
to  the  arrest  of  a  number.  Wives,  sons,  and  broth 
ers  were  constantly  at  our  door  pleading  for  those 
imprisoned.  Tong-siki  insisted  upon  receiving  the 
money  due  him  and  promised  no  help  until  the  debts 
were  paid. 

"But,"  they  said,  "it  is  not  only  what  we  will  have 
to  pay  you,  but  the  squeeze  that  will  be  extorted 
from  us  by  the  magistrate  and  his  runners."  Tong- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  65 

siki  promised  to  secure  them  from  injustice  at  the 
hands  of  the  officials  and  their  agents  if  they  would 
pay  their  just  debts,  and  it  was  astonishing  how 
quickly  such  promises  brought  the  money  that  was 
due. 


CHAPTER  VII 
SEARCHING  FOR  A  BRIDE 

ON  an  afternoon  three  days  after  my  first  view 
of  the  Westerner,  Tong-siki  invited  me  to  walk  with 
him.  "I  want  you  to  come,"  said  he,  "across  the 
river  and  see  a  wedding  procession  that  is  expected 
to  arrive  to-night.  I  have  just  seen  the  men  who 
came  in  advance  to  secure  the  inn  for  the  party,  who 
will  stay  in  the  city  a  few  days. 

I  was  glad  of  a  new  diversion,  but  wondered  why 
it  should  cause  Tong-siki  so  much  interest  at  this 
particular  time.  As  we  climbed  into  the  ferryboat 
filled  with  passengers,  I  asked  him  where  he  expected 
the  party  to  hail  from. 

"Kong-ju,"  said  he. 

"Kong-ju?"  I  stammered.  He  nodded  in  assent, 
and  sitting  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  gazed 
lazily  down  stream. 

Kong-ju  was  the  home  of  my  future  bride,  and 
I  knew  then  that  the  party  coming  into  the  city  that 
night  would  not  be  a  wedding  procession,  but  simply 
my  future  bride  journeying  northward  to  live  with 
her  mother  until  I  should  come  for  her  at  the  time 
fixed  for  our  marriage. 

The   party    soon    appeared.      There   were  three 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  67 

chairs,  each  borne  by  four  men,  lusty  fellows  from 
the  South.  Their  only  clothing  was  a  pair  of  baggy 
trousers,  tied  to  the  waist,  while  the  legs  were  rolled 
up.  The  men's  backs  were  deep  brown  from  ex 
posure  to  the  sun,  and  they  were  dusty  and  worn 
from  their  trip  of  nine  hundred  li.  The  chairs  were 
closed  so  that  it  was  quite  impossible  to  guess  which 
contained  my  future  bride.  A  long  retinue  followed, 
pack  ponies  with  boxes  and  bundles,  and  men  on 
foot.  As  the  party  swept  by  we  fell  in  behind  with 
other  travelers  for  the  city  and  recrossed  the  river 
with  them. 

In  my  revolt  at  the  iron  of  our  ancient  laws  I  had 
a  great  desire  to  see  the  girl,  but  custom  forbade  it. 
The  only  chance  to  see  whether  she  was  deformed, 
as  I  believed  she  was,  would  be  to  steal  into  the 
women's  quarters  and  somehow  watch  for  her  un 
observed.  Such  an  act  would  place  me,  if  discov 
ered,  on  the  plane  with  the  drunken  rowdies  of  the 
city,  and  what  would  be  worse  reveal  my  identity 
to  the  girl  and  her  family.  Tong-siki  thought  it 
could  be  managed,  and  with  his  usual  readiness  to 
help  me  undertook  the  task  of  finding  out  all  about 
the  inn  in  which  they  were  to  stop  for  two  days. 
He  returned  late  that  night  with  the  information 
that  he  had  seen  her,  and  that  I  might  have  a  chance 
the  following  night.  To  all  my  questionings  as  to 
what  she  looked  like  he  would  make  no  reply  save, 
"Wait  and  see." 


68  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

The  next  night,  late  in  the  evening,  he  led  me  out 
on  the  street  and  down  through  the  alleys  a  long 
distance  into  the  heart  of  the  city,  past  festering 
gutters  and  nauseating  pools,  past  the  low  wine 
shops  where  voices  were  raised  in  high  altercations, 
under  tiny  paper  lanterns  hung  on  poles  to  light  the 
streets,  by  rows  of  shops  carefully  closed  for  the 
night,  past  rows  of  lights  twinkling  from  the  cracks 
of  the  buildings  forming  the  women's  apartments. 
At  last  we  reached  a  building  that  loomed  out  of 
the  darkness,  giving  one  in  the  deep  gloom  the 
impression  of  unusual  proportions.  It  was  set  on 
the  corner  of  the  street  with  an  alley  at  the  back. 
The  roof  of  the  house  was  covered  with  tiles  and 
stood  higher  from  the  ground  than  most  of  its 
neighbors. 

"Too  late,"  said  I,  "they  have  all  retired." 

"Wait  and  see,"  Tong-siki  replied,  in  a  cautious 
voice.  "If  you  are  going  to  call  them  up  I  am 
going  back." 

I  took  the  hint  and  closed  my  lips.  He  led  the 
way  around  the  corner  and  down  the  street  at  right 
angles  along  the  side  of  the  inn.  A  few  yards  be 
yond  a  light  shone  brightly  through  closed  paper 
doors  and  windows.  We  were  about  to  pass  the  last 
door  when  Tong-siki  seized  and  dragged  me  into  the 
deep  shadows  of  the  overhanging  roof.  His  grasp 
startled  me  into  an  involuntary  "O !"  when  immedi 
ately  the  door  opened  and  a  man  stepped  out.  He 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  69 

glanced  full  at  us,  but  his  eyes,  not  yet  accustomed 
to  the  darkness,  failed  to  discern  us.  He  looked  up 
and  down  the  street  and  at  the  sky.  The  wind 
threatening  the  light  in  the  room,  he  returned  and 
closed  the  door.  Tobacco  smoke  had  poured  out 
upon  the  street  suggesting  a  large  company  within. 

I  started  from  where  we  were  standing,  but  Tong- 
siki  made  no  move  to  go  on ;  again  I  started  but  he 
remained  silent,  then  I  understood.  "Go  ahead, 
you  may  pull  my  arm  oft  and  I  will  not  whisper, 
indeed,  I  won't,"  I  meekly  urged. 

He  led  me  into  the  alley  back  of  the  inn.  The 
wall  surrounding  the  yard  was  made  of  coarse  mats, 
sewed  together  and  bound  to  posts  about  seven  feet 
high.  Tong-siki  led  the  way  to  the  center  of  the 
wall  and  began  fumbling  along  the  line  of  one  of  the 
posts.  Presently  he  flung  the  flap  back  and  we  stood 
peering  into  a  large  yard.  On  the  side  opposite  us 
was  the  inn  with  its  wing,  flanked  on  our  side  with 
the  mat  wall.  Light  was  percolating  through  the 
paper  of  a  dozen  windows  and  doors.  We  paused 
to  listen,  the  whirr  of  a  spinning  wheel  and  the 
clang-clack  of  a  handloom  pointed  out  the  women's 
quarters.  I  followed  Tong-siki  through  the  fence, 
my  heart  palpitating  loud  enough  to  be  heard  all 
over  the  yard.  Some  one  might  step  from  one  of 
those  dozen  windows  or  doors  any  moment. 

Tong-siki  swung  the  whole  side  of  the  matting 
near  the  post  loose  and  fastened  the  corner  at  the 


70  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

top  lightly,  so  that,  while  presenting  the  appearance 
of  a  sound  wall,  a  slight  touch  of  the  hand  would 
break  it  loose.  I  noticed  the  act  and  marveled  at 
the  amount  of  labor  it  must  have  caused  him  the 
night  previous  to  arrange  it  all.  We  crept  up  to  a 
window  and  he  began  very  softly  to  rub  the  paper 
that  covered  the  wide  frame  work.  Soon  a  hole 
was  made  large  enough  for  the  eye. 

"Look,"  he  whispered. 

"Nothing,"  said  I,  a  moment  later. 

"What  do  you  see?"  he  asked. 

"A  shadow  on  the  wall  to  the  right,"  I  replied. 

He  stood  studying  a  moment,  then  moved  over 
to  the  left  and  worked  a  hole  through  the  paper  cov 
ering  of  the  next  window.  He  glanced  in,  then 
motioned  to  me.  I  placed  my  eye  to  the  hole,  but  at 
first  I  could  see  only  the  outline  of  a  woman  sitting 
on  the  floor  near  the  candle,  who  seemed  to  be  bend 
ing  over  engaged  in  folding  a  garment  that  was 
lying  at  her  feet.  I  looked  till  she  turned  her  face 
full  into  the  light  \yhich  flared  up  at  that  moment 
revealing  a  face  in  which  I  could  not  see  a  trace  of 
intelligence,  and  the  impression  of  a  stooping  atti 
tude  that  I  had  at  first  observed  was  caused  by  a 
deformed  body.  She  presently  stood  up  by  the  can 
dle  light,  a  hunchback,  short  and  ugly. 

A  pull  at  my  sleeve  brought  me  quickly  to  my 
feet,  and  stepping  back  unguardedly,  I  knocked  a 
stone  loose  which  rolled  down  a  short  incline,  start- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  71 

ing  a  hundred  echoes.  Suddenly  a  door  in  the 
opposite  wing  swung  wide  open,  sending  a  broad 
flood  of  light  across  the  yard  full  upon  us.  A  man, 
without  hat,  coat  or  shoes,  shot  out  into  the  yard 
and  bounded  toward  me  with  a  yell.  Tong-siki 
swung  me  in  the  direction  of  the  hole  in  the  fence 
with  a  hoarse  command  to  run.  We  ran,  but 
I  missed  the  opening,  thinking  that  I  saw  our  exit 
a  little  to  the  right.  Tong-siki  saw  my  mistake,  and 
sprang  by  me  and  called  to  me  to  follow ;  but  before 
I  could  turn  our  pursuer  was  already  between  us 
howling  like  a  madman. 

"Thief!  robber!  murderer!  help!  help!" 
Already  the  house  had  emptied  itself  into  the 
yard.  Every  door  was  open  and  the  compound  on 
our  side  was  as  light  as  day.  The  opposite  side  near 
the  women's  quarters  still  lay  in  a  deep  shadow.  I 
ran  for  the  darkest  point  and  turned  a  sharp  corner 
of  the  building  with  my  pursuer  at  my  heels.  For 
a  moment,  his  eyes  not  being  accustomed  to  the  dark 
ness,  he  missed  me,  and  I  sprang  for  the  fence. 
Missing  the  top,  my  hands  shot  through  a  hole  in 
the  matting.  Immediately  my  pursuer  was  upon 
me.  He  seized  me  by  the  legs  and  yelled  for  help. 
I  hung  to  the  matting  with  the  desperation  of  terror. 
Another  wrench  and  I  would  have  lain  on  my  face 
a  captive  in  the  yard,  but  at  that  moment  someone 
seized  my  wrist  from  the  outside.  It  was  Tong- 
siki,  blessed  Tong-siki!  A  knife  slipped  down  the 


72  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

matting,  then  a  furious  pull  brought  me  half  through 
the  opening,  and  the  face  of  my  assailant  to  the  aper 
ture.  There  was  a  sharp  thud  and  he  let  loose. 

I  scrambled  to  my  feet  and  ran  without  a  word. 
Down  the  alley  we  went  into  the  gutters,  hatless, 
shoeless,  panting  and  exhausted.  Before  making 
the  turn  into  the  larger  street  below  we  paused  and 
looked  back.  Lights  were  flickering  here  and  there, 
while  calls  and  shouts  had  raised  a  general  hubbub 
in  the  neighborhood.  It  was  late  and  no  one  was 
moving  in  front  of  us,  so  we  crept  out  across  the 
street  into  another  alleyway.  In  doing  so  we  passed 
under  a  lantern  hanging  over  the  door  of  a  wine 
shop.  Here  we  paused  and  Tong-siki  looked  me 
over. 

"Where  are  your  sandals,  and  sock,  and  hat? 
Where  did  you  tear  your  clothes?"  he  asked,  with 
out  a  smile. 

I  was  too  exhausted  and  sore  to  reply.  We  moved 
on,  and  I  found  my  feet  torn  and  bleeding,  but  too 
profoundly  thankful  for  our  escape  to  complain. 

On  reaching  the  inn  Tong-siki  went  on  ahead, 
and  finding  the  coast  clear  came  back  for  me.  As 
we  stepped  into  the  yard  we  were  greeted  with  a 
slight  cough.  Glancing  up  above  me  was  the  evil 
face  of  Ho-yongi,  the  Snake.  He  looked  me  over 
from  my  rumpled  hair  to  my  bare  and  bleeding 
feet.  Tong-siki  greeted  him  with  dignity.  In  a 
suave  and  oily  voice  Ho-yongi  said  that  he  was 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  73 

passing  and  seeing  the  light  thought  he  would  glance 
in. 

Tong-siki  had  left  the  door  open  which  lighted 
the  entrance  to  the  compound  where  we  stood.  He 
had  already  stepped  between  me  and  our  visitor, 
while  I  hastened  into  the  room.  He  spoke  with 
composed  gravity,  told  Ho-yongi  that  he  was  glad 
to  see  him,  hoped  that  he  and  his  household  were 
well.  Ho-yongi's  curiosity  evidently  was  at  fever 
heat  to  know  what  was  the  matter  with  me,  but  the 
lofty,  cold  politeness  of  Tong-siki  froze  him  into 
silence.  He  finally  withdrew  with  the  usual  saluta- 
tons,  "Hope  you  will  rest  in  peace,"  but  paused  on 
the  outside  and  said : 

"Perhaps  it  will  be  of  interest  to  you  to  know  that 
we  have  seized  the  servants  of  the  Western  devil  and 
they  are  in  prison.  The  price  of  the  new  faith  is  a 
man's  head,  you  know,"  he  added,  "and  I  fancy  the 
foreigner's  head  is  not  very  securely  attached  to  his 
shoulders  either.  At  least  the  paddle  will  keep  warm 
on  those  Christian  dogs  to-night." 

"So?"  asked  Tong-siki. 

Ho-yongi  glided  out  like  a  shadow,  into  the  night. 

The  next  day  a  new  pair  of  shoes  and  hat  and  a 
fresh  clean  coat  placed  me  on  a  better  footing  with 
the  world.  We  heard  that  there  had  been  a  serious 
attempt  at  robbery  at  a  certain  inn  in  another  part 
of  the  city  the  night  before ;  that  the  robbers,  while 
they  were  able  to  escape,  had  been  stabbed  several 


74  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

times  by  the  defenders  of  the  home;  that  they  had 
left  their  bloody  marks  along  the  streets  for  a  con 
siderable  distance ;  that  there  were  at  least  twenty  in 
all ;  that  it  suggested  an  attitude  on  the  part  of  the 
Tong-haks1  to  organize  in  bands  to  ruin  the  people ; 
that  a  visitor  who  had  come  in  with  a  party  from 
Kong-ju  the  day  before  fought  desperately  with 
one  of  the  robbers  who  was  a  giant  in  size  and 
strength,  and  that  the  struggle  was  so  great  that 
nearly  the  whole  compound  fence  was  razed  to  the 
ground. 

*Literally  "  Eastern  Learning;"  a  society  resembling  the  Boxer  of  China. 


CHAPTER    VIII 
A  SPIRIT  FROM  THE  WEST 

WITH  the  people  there  was  something  more  im 
portant  at  hand  than  the  news  of  an  attempt  to  rob 
an  inn.  The  governor  had  seized  and  cast  into 
prison  the  foreigner's  servants  and  his  followers.  It 
was  said  that  the  governor  was  waiting  for  instruc 
tions  from  the  capital  before  putting  the  Christians 
to  death.  The  excitement  was  out  of  all  proportion 
to  the  question  at  stake,  as  if  fiends  from  our  fetish- 
adorned  trees  and  houses  had  broken  loose,  like  bats 
in  a  warm  summer  night,  filling  the  air  and  taking 
lodgment  in  the  brain  of  the  people.  The  passion 
for  violence  was  expressed  everywhere. 

"Kill  the  foreigner,"  they  said.  "Our  children 
are  not  safe  in  our  arms.  We  saw  them,"  the  women 
cried,  "with  their  tiny  arms  around  his  neck,  smiling 
in  his  eyes  and  chattering  with  contentment.  If  with 
his  medicine  he  can  weave  a  spell  over  the  children 
like  that  he  will  squat  over  the  city  like  a  huge  toad 
and  gorge  himself  with  their  blood,  and  their  eyes 
will  fill  his  medicine  pot.  O,  O,  O,  what  will  become 
of  us?" 

The  hysteria  of  these  women  reminded  me  of  a 
similar  occasion  of  which  my  father  often  told  me, 


76  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

when  a  frenzy  struck  the  city  of  Seoul.  It  was 
thought  that  through  some  kind  of  enchantment 
the  children  on  the  streets  were  made  to  follow  evil 
men  who  murdered  them.  So  great  was  the  mad 
ness  that  fathers  carrying  their  own  babies  were 
seized  and  beaten  to  death.  The  victims  would  pro 
test  their  innocence  and  appeal  to  their  children  for 
identification.  When  a  child  would  plead  for  its 
father's  life  the  crowd  would  say,  "See,  the  man  has 
even  bewitched  the  child  into  believing  that  he  is 
really  its  father."  The  reign  of  terror  was  only  put 
down  by  the  use  of  the  military  power  under  the 
direct  order  of  his  Majesty  after  a  vast  amount  of 
blood  had  been  shed.  When  quietness  was  again 
secured,  the  people  wondered  at  their  madness.  I 
have  since  heard  that  momentary  madness  has  seized 
towns  and  cities  of  other  nations  and  that  at  one 
time  all  France  went  mad. 

I  visited  the  house  of  the  foreigner  on  the  city 
wall.  It  had  been  stoned  the  night  before,  and  the 
tiles  on  the  roof  were  broken  and  doors  torn  from 
their  hinges.  The  wall  in  places  had  been  torn  down 
and  marks  of  violence  were  everywhere. 

A  few  years  previous  to  the  time  of  these  events 
a  telegraph  line  had  been  run  through  the  country. 
The  tall  poles  looked  like  a  monster  from  the  out 
side  world  stalking  over  the  land  to  bring  new  and 
vast  changes.  The  people  looked,  felt  the  change, 
and  wondered.  In  this  city  a  Chinaman  sat  in  the- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  77 

telegraph  office.  He  seemed  to  have  a  sunny  side  to 
his  nature  and  welcomed  the  foreigner,  and  sent  his 
messages  to  Seoul,  when  asked. 

The  Westerner  had  just  returned  from  a  trip  to 
the  telegraph  office  as  I  arrived.  The  people 
crowded  at  his  heels,  but  instead  of  the  questions  of 
curiosity  that  I  heard  the  first  time  I  saw  him,  sullen 
silence  prevailed ;  except  now  and  then  the  utterance 
of  a  curse. 

I  learned  that  Ho-yongi  divided  his  time  with 
the  prison,  superintending  a  system  of  beating,  hop 
ing  to  secure  a  squeeze;  and,  at  the  house  of  the 
foreigner,  fawning  around  him,  pretending  to  be  his 
friend.  I  went  down  to  the  prison.  The  yard  door 
was  open,  and  with  others  I  entered.  Near  the  door 
was  a  man  lying  on  his  back,  his  feet  fastened  in 
stocks  which  were  attached  high  up  on  the  wall,  so 
that  his  body  was  raised  from  the  ground  and  his 
weight  rested  only  on  his  shoulders.  Ho-yongi  soon 
came  with  a  note  from  the  magistrate  and  ordered 
him  beaten,  but  promised  his  freedom  if  he  would 
recant  and  sever  his  connection  with  the  foreigner. 
I  could  not  see  the  man's  face,  but  his  words  came 
clear,  though  spoken  in  a  muffled  voice  of  pain. 

"I  have  told  you  before  the  foreigner  has  no  evil 
practices.  His  religion  is  pure.  I  believe  in  God 
and  cannot  deny  him." 

Cries  proceeded  from  other  parts  of  the  prison 
where,  I  was  told,  Christians  were  tied  up  in  the 


78  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

same  fashion.  Blows  were  rained  upon  the  feet  of 
the  man  near  the  door,  yet  not  a  word  nor  a  groan 
escaped  his  lips ;  nothing  but  the  sound  of  his  hard 
breathing  was  heard.  I  turned  sick  at  heart  and 
walked  away.  If  it  had  not  been  for  Tong-siki  I 
should  have  thought  that  the  expulsion  of  the  for 
eigner  and  Christians  the  proper  thing,  but  he  had 
put  in  my  heart  a  feeling  of  discontent  with  the  old 
order  of  cruelty  and  oppression. 

It  was  rumored  again  and  again  that  orders  were 
coming  from  his  Majesty  demanding  the  release 
of  these  men.  Such  an  order  could  not  be  under 
stood.  It  was  contrary  to  all  precedent  in  the  his 
tory  of  our  country.  Then  again  it  was  rumored 
that  orders  had  come  to  kill  all  Christians,  and  the 
foreigner  also. 

Tong-siki  was  very  grave  and  thoughtful.  He 
visited  the  prison  and  talked  a  great  deal  with  the 
officials.  Of  what  he  heard  and  saw  he  said  nothing. 
At  times  I  caught  him  watching  me  very  closely  in 
a  way  that  made  me  feel  uneasy.  On  one  occasion 
I  defended  the  Christian  in  a  spirited  argument, 
not  because  I  cared  anything  for  them,  but  because 
of  one  of  those  perverse  moments  when  one  wants 
to  antagonize  that  for  which  everybody  is  clamor 
ing.  The  effort  nearly  cost  me  my  hat  and  topknot. 
Tong-siki  was  standing  by  at  the  time  with  his  gaze 
fixed  on  me,  his  own  face  as  unfathomable  as  the 
face  of  the  image  of  Buddha. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  79 

News  came  one  afternoon  that  all  Christians  had 
been  released  except  the  one  whose  stubbornness  had 
so  exasperated  his  tormentors.  His  name  was  Kim. 
Around  this  sturdy  follower  of  the  new  faith  had 
centered  all  the  revilings  and  miseries  of  a  remorse 
less  persecution.  He,  it  was  said,  was  to  be  taken 
to  the  magistrate  and  if  he  refused  to  recant  was  to 
be  killed. 

"How  is  it  to  occur?"  I  asked  Tong-siki,  remem 
bering  his  frequent  calls  on  the  magistrate  and 
believing  that  he  knew.  He  puffed  vigorously  at 
his  pipe  till  I  felt  sure  he  did  not  intend  to  answer, 
and  finally  said: 

"The  Christian  who  is  called  Kim  is  to  be  taken 
before  the  magistrate  this  mid-afternoon  and  ordered 
to  recant.  If  he  does  not  yield  it  will  cost  him  his 
life.  It  is  true,"  he  added,  "that  his  Majesty  has 
sent  imperative  orders  to  have  him  released  because 
of  representations  and  protests  of  foreign  consuls 
at  the  capital.  It  is  known,  however,  that  powerful 
members  of  his  cabinet  are  anxious  for  a  pretext  to 
exterminate  all  Christians,  and  it  is  interpreted  here 
that  his  Majesty  desires  the  same  thing,  but  is  afraid 
of  foreign  complications,  therefore,  the  scheme  is 
to  publicly  order  Kim  to  recant,  and  when  he  refuses 
to  release  him.  Ho-yongi,  the  Snake,  will  attend 
to  the  rest.  What  transpires  outside  of  the  yamens, 
of  course,  will  be  an  accident.  May  the  gods  have 
pity  on  him  who  falls  a  victim  to  this  gentle  agent 


8o  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

of  justice !  I  saw  him  this  morning  moving  among 
persons  of  his  own  character,  trying  to  inflame  them 
against  the  new  religionists. 

"Kill !"  he  was  saying,  "kill  them  on  sight.  He 
who  strikes  first  will  be  rewarded  by  the  Emperor." 

"Since  you  have  had  the  courage  to  go  bride  hunt 
ing  and  turn  robber  of  a  helpless  innkeeper,  you  may 
have  courage  to  witness  the  devil  at  his  work.  There 
will  be  but  one  victim  and  the  mob  will  make  short 
work  of  it.  This  business  of  blood-letting  has 
always  been  a  favorite  pastime  with  our  people  when 
the  odds  in  numbers  against  the  victim  have  been 
sufficiently  great  to  make  a  heinous  crime  a  simple 
act  of  justice,  and  a  thing  altogether  praiseworthy." 

"It  is  astonishing,"  he  added,  after  a  pause,  "the 
courage  these  Christians  have  and  their  evident  fear 
lessness  of  death.  It  is  worthy  of  a  good  cause,  and 
there  is  coming  a  time  when  we  shall  look  diligently 
for  men  of  that  courage."  He  hastily  rose,  as  if  he 
had  said  what  he  had  not  intended,  and  stepping  out 
of  the  door,  turned  and  said : 

"You  can  get  a  good  view  by  standing  on  the  ele 
vation  at  the  west  of  the  yamen.  I  have  business 
away  and  may  not  get  back  in  time.  Peace  to  you," 
he  called,  and  disappeared  through  the  gate  of  the 
inn  compound. 

I  soon  left  for  the  place  he  had  suggested  over 
looking  the  yamen's  walls.  The  walls  of  the  city 
had  taken  on  a  holiday  appearance.  The  white  cos- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  81 

tnmes  of  the  people  crowded  together  against  the 
dark  background  of  the  wall,  with  now  and  then 
red,  green  and  yellow  glancing  in  the  sunlight,  made 
a  scene  peculiarly  beautiful,  and  one  that  could  not 
be  duplicated  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  I  soon 
found  the  place  indicated  by  Tong-siki,  and  waited. 
A  great  crowd  of  people  had  gathered  around  the 
yamens  and  stretched  back,  an  eager  mass,  into  the 
streets  toward  the  city  gates,  but  all  was  quiet 
There  was,  however,  a  slow  motion,  as  if  the  gath 
ering  throng,  like  a  stream  that  had  been  dammed 
back,  refused  to  be  quiet;  but  circled  and  eddied; 
silent,  forceful,  ready  to  break  over  all  barriers  to 
engulf  and  destroy.  The  silence  seemed  more  omi 
nous  when  over  the  heads  of  those  near  the  yamen 
gates  were  seen  poles  and  clubs  carried  by  men  who 
had  discarded  their  hats  and  were  naked  to  the 
waists. 

It  generally  requires  some  time  for  a  Korean  to 
work  himself  up  to  a  proper  pitch  to  strike,  but  when 
he  gets  started,  he  is  as  blind  as  a  mad  bull.  A  mob 
even  with  the  carefully  premeditated  violence  is  a 
fickle  thing  and  moves  heavily  and  slowly,  and  if  the 
intended  victim  has  enough  strength  left  to  run,  the 
crowd  will  be  his  safety,  I  thought. 

Growing  tired  of  the  delay  I  started  down  the  hill 
with  the  purpose  of  getting  nearer  to  the  yamen's 
gates,  and  paused  now  and  then  to  listen  to  blood 
curdling  yells  that  came  from  the  yamen's  com- 


82  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

pound.  Someone  was  being  tortured,  and  the  min 
ions  of  the  magistrate  were  howling  like  fiends.  Just 
as  I  had  reached  a  deserted  position  in  a  narrow 
street  where  I  could  get  a  distant  view  of  nothing 
but  a  mass  of  jostling,  eager  faces,  a  great  stir  swept 
through  the  people  up  the  narrow  street  from  where 
I  stood. 

Suddenly  a  new  tumult  arose,  and  a  figure  flung 
into  the  street  in  advance  of  the  crowd;  barefooted, 
hair  streaming  and  blood  trickling  down  his  face 
from  a  wound  on  the  head.  This  much  I  noticed  as 
the  man  ran  toward  me  down  the  street  and  passed 
at  my  elbow,  he  turned  slightly  to  the  left  into  what 
seemed  to  be  a  street  leading  to  the  city  wall,  but 
found  himself  in  one  of  those  tangles  of  houses  and 
yards  that  fill  our  streets  as  traps  for  the  unwary 
strangers.  I  knew  that  he  was  fast,  and  if  the  mob 
followed  he  was  doomed.  A  house  jutting  out  into 
the  street  had  hid  him  from  the  view  of  a  pursuing 
mob. 

It  is  a  curious  impulse  of  our  people  that  when  a 
man  is  hunted  for  his  life,  they  join  in  the  race  and 
help  run  him  down.  It  is  not  so  much  from  an  idea 
that  the  fugitive  is  worthy  of  violence  or  death,  but 
there  is  a  passion  in  our  breasts  that  rises  at  the  sight 
of  blood.  It  may  be  that  the  oppression  of  the 
official  classes  is  so  great  that  when  the  opportunity 
comes  to  strike  we  do  it  without  regard  to  the  guilt 
or  innocency  of  the  victim. 


BURDEN    BEARERS 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  83 

The  moment  I  saw  the  fugitive's  face  I  recog 
nized  him  as  the  one  concerning  whom  I  had  heard 
so  much  of  late.  When  the  leader  of  the  mob  rushed 
upon  me  and  demanded  where  the  fellow  had  gone, 
I  put  them  on  the  wrong  scent. 

"In  that  direction/'  I  said,  pointing  down  a  short, 
narrow  street.  I  watched  the  mob  turn  sharply  to 
the  right  and  rush  pellmell  down  the  muddy  alley 
way,  slipping  and  sliding  as  they  jostled  each  other 
into  the  gutters  in  their  eagerness  to  overtake  their 
victim. 

Presently  Ho-yongi,  the  mob  leader,  returned  fol 
lowed  by  a  score  of  panting  followers,  hungering  for 
a  chance  to  kill.  As  they  approached,  the  leader 
glanced  over  my  head  at  the  hillside  and  gave  vent 
to  a  prolonged  "A-ah !"  expressive  of  rage  and  dis 
appointment.  I  looked  and  saw  the  fugitive  high  up 
among  the  rocks  of  the  city  wall,  well  out  of  the  way 
of  pursuit. 

Ho-yongi  glanced  at  the  footprints,  at  me,  and 
the  fleeing  man.  His  eyes  were  red  with  passion, 
and  he  thrust  his  face  into  mine  and  shouted.  At 
first  his  words  were  too  thick  for  articulation.  "You ! 
you  did  that,"  he  cried  at  last,  "you  let  that  for 
eigner's  devil  through  a  hole  in  the  yard  fence  and 
sent  us  tearing  down  that  street.  You — your  head 
is  as  easily  broken  as  his.  Here,  you  fellows!"  he 
shouted  to  the  mob  at  his  heels,  "here  is  blood  for 
you." 


84  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"Hold  there !"  called  a  voice  at  my  back,  a  voice 
that  I  recognized  and  it  sounded  as  sweet  as  music. 
Tong-siki  was  at  my  side.  "What  are  you  about 
there,  Ho-yongi?"  he  demanded;  "Do  you  know 
whom  you  are  threatening?" 

The  mob  swayed  like  a  serpent  aiming  to  strike  a 
dodging  foe.  "Kill !"  they  shouted,  "kill  the  Chris 
tians!"  and  an  evil  look  darkened  the  face  of  Ho- 
yongi,  when  they  classed  us  with  the  fleeing  man. 
But  Tong-siki  was  not  a  ragged,  emaciated  victim 
of  the  prison,  but  a  man  of  commanding  presence. 
Beckoning  with  his  hand  he  called:  "News!  news 
from  the  Emperor!  A  command.  Let  the  Chris 
tian  live !"  At  the  sound  of  that  magical  name,  Em 
peror,  murmurs  died  out  and  the  mob  waited. 

"Do  you  think,"  Ho-yongi  exclaimed,  "that  the 
son  of  the  Sung-ji  has  a  right  to  aid  the  escape  of  a 
criminal  regularly  condemned  by  our  law?" 

"You  know  the  case  better  than  that,"  Tong-siki 
replied,  "you  know  that  his  Majesty  ordered  the  man 
released,  having  telegraphed  from  the  capital  at  the 
instance  of  foreign  diplomats.  Perhaps  you  are  not 
aware,  however,  that  in  saving  his  life  by  sending 
your  mob  howling  down  the  street  this  man  here  has 
saved  your  worthless  head.  Furthermore,  it  might 
not  be  for  your  interest  for  me  to  report  what  I 
know  concerning  you  in  this  matter.  Who  was  it 
that  stirred  up  the  magistrate  to  put  this  man  in 
prison?  And  who  is  it  that  has  caused  his  Majesty 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  85 

to  lose  prestige  in  the  eyes  of  foreign  diplomats  by 
their  repeated  demand  for  the  release  of  that  man? 
When  the  Emperor's  hand  falls  upon  the  governor 
and  magistrate,  do  you  think  they  will  shield  you?" 

The  last  sentence  was  addressed  at  Ho-yongi's 
back,  as  he  had  turned  to  a  comrade  to  distract  atten 
tion  from  Tong-siki's  arraignment.  He  started 
away  a  few  yards,  then  suddenly  wheeled  about  and 
shouted  in  his  nasal  voice  for  all  to  hear : 

"Yes,  the  Sung-ji's  son  is  an  adept  at  breaking 
into  houses  and  carrying  off  young  women  and  open 
ing  money  boxes.  I,  too,  have  a  delightful  story  to 
tell."  Having  vented  his  spleen,  he  slunk  off  and 
the  crowd,  from  which  all  passion  had  seemingly 
gone,  parted  to  let  him  through. 

Tong-siki  and  I  pushed  through  the  crowd  and 
out  of  the  great  city  gate  to  the  riverside.  We 
walked  up  the  river  bank  and  sat  down  on  one  of  the 
rocks  that  line  the  shore.  Not  a  word  had  passed 
between  us  since  the  exciting  scenes  that  had  so 
nearly  cost  a  life,  and  at  one  time  threatened  mine. 
We  sat  for  some  time  watching  the  boats  scurrying 
up  and  down  the  river,  and  listened  to  the  rat-tat-tat 
of  the  women  washing  along  the  shore.  Suddenly 
my  companion  turned  and  said : 

"Are  you  becoming  one  of  them?" 

"One  of  them?"  I  repeated.  "I  know  nothing 
about  them/* 

He  looked  at  me  steadily  for  a  moment.    "Well," 


86  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

he  said,  and  I  was  startled  at  the  strange  light  in  his 
eyes.  It  made  me  think  of  a  smouldering  fire,  wait 
ing  for  a  breath  of  wind  that  it  might  revel  in 
destruction. 

"Well  what  ?"  I  asked,  shrinking  from  his  look. 

"To-day  you  have  witnessed  an  epoch-making 
scene,"  he  replied.  "You  did  a  neat  thing  when  you 
let  that  Christian  escape,  but  I  half  wish  you  had  not 
done  so.  There  might  have  been  a  new  order  of 
things  if  he  had  fallen.  Let  me  tell  you/'  he  con 
tinued,  waving  his  hand  when  I  attempted  to  speak, 
"my  father  tells  of  a  scene  that  he  witnessed  in  this 
city  before  you  were  born.  There  were  Christians 
in  those  times  and  they  lived  in  great  insecurity. 
They  held  their  meetings  in  out  of  the  way  places 
like  a  secret  society.  The  priesthood  was  composed 
mostly  of  Europeans  who  had  assumed  the  Korean 
costume,  and  they  had  learned  the  language  so  per 
fectly  that  it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  them  from 
our  native  people.  Now  and  then,  however,  in  some 
localities  where  their  numbers  had  become  consider 
able,  they  became  more  open  in  their  religious  rites, 
and  in  some  instances  they  seemed  ready  to  insist 
upon  their  rights.  The  foreign  origin  of  their  reli 
gion,  the  secret  character  of  their  gatherings,  and 
the  peculiar  religious  rites  of  breaking  of  bread  and 
drinking  wine,  led  the  people  to  believe  that  they 
were  dangerous  to  the  peace  of  our  land.  It  was 
reported  that  they  murdered  children,  and  used  their 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  87 

flesh  in  their  unhallowed  religious  fites,  and  com 
mitted  the  most  heinous  atrocities.  Murmurings 
spread  through  the  country  again  and  again.  'Free 
the  land  from  these  monsters  of  cannibalism !'  was 
the  cry.  One  day  in  this  very  city  the  father  of  Ho- 
yongi  let  loose  the  dragon  of  persecution.  Early 
one  morning  a  funeral  procession  was  seen  coming 
down  the  street.  The  unusual  hour  called  out  many 
spectators.  The  hearse  had  been  stripped  of  all  the 
emblems  of  our  traditions  and  the  spirits  had  been 
ignored.  In  every  way  it  emphatically  proclaimed 
the  renunciation  of  Confucius  and  Buddha.  The 
carriers  moved  along  in  profound  silence.  There 
was  no  shout,  cry,  or  dancing  expressive  of  grief. 
The  gods  had  been  defied,  the  dead  outraged,  de 
clared  the  people.  The  murmurs  became  loud  with 
many  a  curse  and  invective.  A  stone  was  hurled  at 
the  bearers,  and  suddenly  a  shout  rang  out  above  the 
noise  of  the  scuffling  and  jostling  crowds. 

"  'Kill  the  cannibals!  kill  the  cannibals!  kill!  kill!' 
"Instantly  the  street  was  in  an  uproar,  and  sticks 
and  stones  were  hurled  at  the  bearers,  and  they  put 
down  their  burden.  A  fury  swept  through  the  mob, 
and  they  rushed  upon  the  little  company  of  Chris 
tians  who  had  quietly  taken  their  stand  around  the 
bier  of  the  dead.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  the 
tale  every  man  of  that  company  was  beaten  to  death, 
and  their  mangled  bodies  dragged  along  the  street 
and  out  to  the  river  to  where  we  are  now  sitting  and 


88  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

hurled  into  the  stream.  All  the  demons  of  our  ances 
try  were  turned  loose  to  inflame  the  people.  The 
nooks  and  corners  where  the  Christians  had  taken 
refuge  were  searched,  and  it  was  astonishing  how 
many  of  all  classes,  but  mostly  of  the  poor,  were 
dragged  into  light.  Prince  Un,  then  in  power,  gave 
orders  to  exterminate  them.  The  whole  land  took 
fire,  and  the  slaughter  became  furious  and  indiscrim 
inate.  Men,  women,  and  children  were  drowned, 
strangled,  beheaded,  disemboweled,  or  beaten  to 
death.  The  country,  at  last  growing  weary  of  the 
slaughter,  adopted  milder  means  and  an  opportunity 
was  given  those  apprehended  to  recant. 

"Not  the  least  astonishing  part  of  it  was  the  great 
number  who  chose  death  rather  than  to  renounce 
their  faith.''  Here  the  narrator  paused,  and  a  noble 
look  came  into  his  face.  "Ah !"  he  added,  "those 
were  heroes." 

"Why!"  I  ejaculated,  "were  the  Christians  right?" 
"I  do  not  know  anything  about  their  faith,"  he 
replied,  "but  they  chose  to  suffer  for  their  cause  and 
counted  their  lives  worth  little  when  compared  with 
their  principles.  There  is  coming  a  time  when  many 
of  our  countrymen  will  be  called  upon  to  do  acts  of 
sacrifice."  Turning  suddenly  upon  me  he  asked, 
"Will  you  be  the  man  to  flinch  ?"  The  question  made 
me  gasp  with  its  abruptness,  and  without  giving  me 
time  to  reply,  he  continued :  "I  said  that  this  has  been 
an  epoch-making  day.  The  man  who  led  the  mob  to- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  89 

day  is  the  son  of  the  man  whose  call  'kill  the  canni 
bals/  started  that  slaughter  years  ago.  He  is  still 
living  and  stood  back  of  his  son  to  urge  him  on. 
This  day  has  proven  to  our  country  and  to  the 
world  that  a  repetition  of  that  scene  is  impossible. 
If  they  had  killed  the  Christian  to-day,  his  Majesty 
would  of  necessity  have  called  the  governor  and 
the  magistrate  to  account.  If  blood  had  been  shed, 
blood  would  have  been  shed  in  return,  nor  would 
Ho-yongi  have  escaped." 

"Is  that  a  reason  why  you  would  have  been  willing 
to  have  had  the  Christian  killed?"  I  asked.  Tong- 
siki  gave  an  impatient  shrug. 

"What  do  I  care  about  the  Snake?"  he  replied. 
"He  is  welcome  to  live,  but  if  the  Christian  had 
fallen  it  would  have  recoiled  so  heavily  upon  the 
heads  of  those  in  authority  that  the  despotism  of 
our  officials  would  have  received  a  fatal  blow,  and 
perhaps  before  they  could  recover  something  perma 
nent  might  have  been  done. 

"What  do  you  think  I  saw  yesterday  when  I  called 
at  the  magistrate's  ?  The  way  in  which  these  fellows 
fatten  is  astonishing.  Forty-three  yamen  runners 
to  one  magistrate.  Three  of  them  to  assist  in  the 
duties  of  the  office,  and  forty  to  squeeze  the  people. 
They  had  a  man  stretched  out  on  a  cross,  stripped 
half-naked,  over  him  stood  a  fiendish  looking  tool  of 
the  magistrate  with  a  long  paddle  in  his  hand.  Op 
posite  on  a  platform  sat  the  magistrate;  in  a  half- 


90  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

circle  about  the  victim  stood  forty  runners.  As  I 
approached  the  group  the  magistrate  called  out, 
'Strike!'  All  those  forty  runners  howled  like  so 
many  bloodthirsty  demons.  The  fellow  with  the 
paddle  leaped  into  the  air,  and  that  instrument  of 
torture  came  down  with  a  dull  thud.  As  the  blows 
multiplied  the  poor  wretch  writhed,  and  twisted,  and 
strained  at  the  thongs  that  bound  him,  insanely  call 
ing  for  mercy.  'Life!'  he  cried,  'give  me  life!' 
His  hair  was  grey  with  age,  but  when  his  mind  be 
came  confused  he  called  piteously  for  his  mother  in 
the  language  of  a  babe.  Finally  with  a  shudder  and 
low  moan  his  head  lay  out  upon  the  cross.  The  beat 
ing  stopped,  and  as  they  raised  him  up  red  drops 
were  on  his  lips.  Recover?  Yes,  he  seemed  a 
vigorous  fellow,  and  perhaps  he  will,  but  do  you 
know  why  they  beat  him?  They  beat  him  because 
he  had  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  raise  by  dint  of  a 
hard  summer's  toil  four  sacks  of  rice  more  than 
enough  to  keep  his  family  through  the  winter,  and 
had  refused  to  give  it  over  to  the  magistrate  on 
demand.  He  will  give  it  now,  as  they  have  beaten 
all  strength  of  resistance  out  of  him. 

"You  call  yourself  a  citizen?  This  is  a  land  of 
slaves.  I  have  visited  the  soil  of  other  nations,  and 
when  I  have  seen  their  homes  I  have  blushed  for 
shame  over  the  memory  of  my  poverty-stricken  coun 
trymen.  We  are  like  rats  that  burrow  into  the  first 
hole  that  promises  shelter  from  the  cold  and  wet. 


EVVA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  91 

Our  homes  are  as  naked  as  the  limbs  of  a  willow 
tree  after  the  frosts  and  winds  of  winter  have  swept 
it  bare.  Ther  is  not  an  article  of  furniture  nor  of 
adornment  found  in  any  home  of  our  twelve  millions 
except  a  few  of  those  of  rank  and  of  wealth.  There 
is  not  a  man  that  lies  down  to  sleep  to-night  in  all 
this  land  that  is  sure  that  the  yamen  runners  will 
not  wake  him  with  a  demand  for  his  living.  Fools 
they  are !  They  fatten  on  us  by  destroying  us. 

"Your  father  has  some  influence  and  enjoys  secur 
ity  because  of  his  rank  and  the  king's  favor.  You 
have  some  security  because  of  your  father,  and  I  be 
cause  I  am  his  friend,  but  when  he  dies  all  he  has 
gathered  will  vanish  like  the  morning  dew.  Inside 
of  thirty  days  you  will  be  as  poor  as  the  fox.  Do  not 
think  you  will  escape  the  cross. 

"If  you  should  lose  all,  how  would  you  live?"  he 
added,  glancing  at  my  thin  hands  and  long,  carefully 
tended  finger  nails. 

"Confucius  calls  upon  us  to  honor  and  obey  those 
in  authority.  I  often  wonder  if  that  sage  was  under 
the  paddle  what  would  be  his  philosophy.  We  knock 
our  heads  on  the  floor  and  fawn  to  those  above  us, 
and  while  they  stroke  us,  they  examine  our  fur  to  see 
if  we  are  worth  flaying.  We  know  that  they  love 
ours,  not  us,  and  while  they  prepare  the  knife  we  lick 
their  hands. 

"Are  the  official  class  fools,  did  I  say?  We  are,  if 
we  submit  to  this  intolerable  injustice  and  cruelty." 


CHAPTER  IX 
PERILS  OF  THE  GREAT  TONG  RIVER 

"How  much  did  you  say?" 

"One  hundred  yang." 

"One  hundred  y-a-n-g?" 

"That  is  little  enough.  Five  men  for  five  days. 
Only  four  yang  a  day  for  each  man." 

Daylight  was  just  creeping  into  my  room,  and  I 
recognized  Tong-siki's  voice  engaged  in  one  of  those 
word  duels  with  a  river  boatman  whose  service  he 
wished  to  secure  at  a  reasonable  rate,  and  I  recog 
nized  in  the  boatman's  voice  a  determination  that  he 
would  not  be  reasonable. 

I  glanced  out  of  the  door  at  the  speaker.  He  stood 
bareheaded,  without  shoes,  his  trousers  rolled  half 
way  up  to  his  knees,  a  cloth  carelessly  tied  around 
his  head  for  a  hat,  a  long  pipe  in  his  mouth,  shrewdly 
calculating  on  the  probable  wealth  of  his  would-be 
patrons.  Seemingly  satisfied  that  we  could  pay  a 
good  price,  he  squatted  down  with  his  back  half 
turned  to  Tong-siki,  with  seemingly  absolute  indif 
ference  to  whether  we  engaged  him  or  not. 

"Mine  is  the  only  unengaged  boat  on  the  river," 
he  muttered,  as  if  addressing  his  pipe.  "However, 

92 


EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  93 

if  they  don't  want  to  pay  my  price  they  may  get  some 
kind  of  a  tub  in  a  few  days." 

"Seventy-five  yang,"  said  Tong-siki. 

''Huh/'  was  the  reply,  "think  I  will  be  going."  He 
knocked  the  tobacco  out  of  his  pipe  with  great  delib 
eration,  stood  up,  yawned,  and  gave  his  trousers  a 
vigorous  hitch  upward,  as  if  he  had  some  idea  of 
lifting  himself  over  the  wall  by  his  waistbands,  and 
without  looking  back,  walked  leisurely  through  the 
gate  and  off  down  the  street. 

Fifteen  minutes  later  we  were  hustling  the  inn 
keeper  off  to  the  river  to  look  for  another  boat  pro 
prietor,  but  at  that  juncture  the  departing  man  re 
turned  and,  thrusting  his  face  through  the  gate, 
laconically  called,  "Eighty-five  yang." 

"Seventy,"  replied  Tong-siki. 

The  man  swung  away  and  timed  his  return  to  the 
river  to  meet  the  innkeeper. 

"Seventy-five  yang,"  said  the  innkeeper. 

"The  boat  will  be  here  in  a  few  moments,"  was  the 
ready  reply. 

Notwithstanding  the  promise  and  assurances,  oft- 
repeated,  that  the  boat  would  be  ready  to  leave  in  an 
hour,  we  counted  ourselves  fortunate  on  finding  our 
boat  moving  northward  after  sunrise  the  next  day. 

The  season  was  rapidly  approaching  the  rainy 
period,  and  we  left  with  some  apprehension  as  to  the 
success  of  our  voyage.  The  wind,  however,  blew 
steadily  from  the  northwest,  and  we  hoped  to  escape 


94  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

the  storm.  The  party  consisted  of  the  same  persons 
who  made  the  trip  down.  Never  before  did  our  re 
tinue  of  servants  seem  so  useless.  While  in  the  city 
fwe  had  no  time  for  occasions  requiring  the  talents 
of  our  dancing  girls,  neither  had  we  entertained  per 
sons  of  rank.  We  found  the  city  unique  in  its 
peculiar  social  equality.  Everyone,  while  possessing 
an  inborn  reverence  for  rank,  demanded  treatment 
of  equality  from  everyone  else. 

Beyond  the  city  wall  is  the  site  of  the  ancient  city, 
long  since  deserted.  Great  roads  stretch  in  every  di 
rection,  without  houses,  like  a  huge  skeleton  without 
muscle  or  sinew,  staring  at  one  out  of  the  past.  The 
communities  are  gathered  here  and  there  in  small 
houses,  bunched  together  like  a  few  remaining  teeth 
in  a  grinning  skull.  There  live  the  aristocracy  of 
the  North,  and  they  occupy  a  realm  of  their  own.  It 
is  said  that  a  resident  within  the  walls  may  walk 
the  streets  with  his  outside  neighbor  and  expect  to  be 
addressed  in  terms  of  equality,  but  as  soon  as  the  two 
companions  step  through  the  gate  into  the  neigh 
borhood  of  the  aristocracy,  the  city  man  must  expect 
to  be  addressed  in  terms  of  an  inferior. 

The  democratic  spirit  that  prevailed  in  the  city 
removed  the  temptation  of  patrician  conviviality  re 
quiring  entertainment  on  the  part  of  our  company. 
Also  the  stirring  scenes  of  our  visit  had  engrossed  all 
our  attention  and  feelings. 

I  sat  under  the  awning  of  our  boat  and  leisurely 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  95 

watched  the  boatmen,  their  bronze  bodies  naked  to 
the  waist,  working  our  boat  through  the  tangle  along 
the  shore.  Again  and  again  we  ran  afoul  the  boat- 
racks  of  other  crafts  which  were  piled  high,  like 
strawstacks,  with  brush  for  fuel  so  eagerly  purchased 
by  the  city  to  be  burned  under  their  house  floors. 
Out  we  glided  into  the  stream,  the  oarsmen  took 
their  places,  and  we  began  the  five  days'  trip  home 
ward. 

The  sun,  tempered  by  a  light  breeze  and  the  glid 
ing  motion  of  the  boat,  gave  one  a  feeling  of  rest  and 
gratefulness.  Gradually,  however,  like  the  memory 
of  a  painful  dream,  the  vision  of  my  future  hunch 
back  bride,  as  I  saw  her  under  the  light  in  the  inn, 
crowded  upon  my  mind.  Was  it  the  face  of  an  idiot  ? 
or  did  the  shadows  of  the  inn  magnify  her  deform 
ity? 

I  remember  a  tradition  told  me  when  a  child  of  a 
youth  seeking  his  bride  who  was  suffering  under 
the  power  of  a  certain  magician.  On  meeting  her 
she  appeared  a  maiden  of  surpassing  beauty  and 
spirit-like  loveliness,  but  later,  when  the  glamour  of 
their  honeymoon  was  over,  he  noted  changes  in  her 
that  startled  him ;  something  in  her  face  that  sug 
gested  more  of  the  animal  than  of  an  angel.  Finally 
he  accidentally  discovered  her  bathing  in  the  river, 
no  longer  a  beautiful  maiden,  but  a  dragon,  loath 
some,  slimy,  revolting,  terrible.  The  shock  that  I 
experienced  was  something  of  that  character.  I  re- 


96  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

volted  with  all  my  nature,  but  the  custom  of  obedi 
ence  to  parents  bound  me  in  chains  of  iron.  I  had 
not  the  slightest  doubt  that  within  the  next  month  I 
should  be  joined  for  life  to  that  creature. 

An  hour  after  leaving"  the  city  landing  the  boat 
men  had  worked  our  way  up  the  first  rapids,  to  the 
end  of  the  island  that  lay  like  a  long  boat  moored  in 
the  center  of  the  river.  They  had  been  towing  up  the 
stream  like  horses  on  the  tow  path,  but  on  reaching 
this  point  they  clambered  into  the  boat,  and,  pushing 
off  from  the  shore,  bent  to  their  oars,  holding  the 
prow  up  against  the  current.  Thus  the  current  as 
sisted  in  carrying  us  across ;  but  we  landed  far  below 
the  point  from  which  we  started  on  the  opposite 
side.  This  method  of  crossing  the  river  under  usual 
circumstances  is  safe,  but  when  the  floods  are  high, 
the  water  demons  it  is  said  know  no  pity. 

As  the  boatmen  climbed  out  and  adjusted  the 
ropes  to  their  shoulders,  Tong-siki  broke  the  silence 
that  he  had  maintained  from  the  start. 

"Well,"  said  he;  "what  will  you  do  with  her?" 

"Do?"  I  repeated,  "what  would  you  do?" 

"Kill  her,"  he  sententiously  replied. 

I  knew  that  Tong-siki  was  not  a  man  of  violence, 
and  looked  for  his  meaning. 

"Of  course  I  don't  mean  break  her  head,  but  sim 
ply  don't  do  it.  Don't  marry  her." 

"But  my  father's  fortunes  are  depleted,  and  shame 
and  disgrace  threaten  the  Sung-ji.  You,  as  his 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  97 

steward,  have  told  me  that  he  has  lost  nearly  all  his 
influence  at  the  royal  court.  You  know  he  has 
wasted  vast  sums  on  the  greedy  officials  at  the  capi 
tal  with  the  only  return  of  empty  promises.  Will 
not  the  union  with  this  family  replenish  his  for 
tunes?" 

Tong-siki  looked  at  me  for  some  time  without  re 
plying.  Finally  he  said :  "These  are  times  of  great 
events,  national  changes  are  at  hand,  great  men  are 
demanded,  men  who  are  ready  to  sacrifice,  men  who 
count  their  lives  not  dear  to  themselves,  but  that  they 
may  do  something  for  their  country.  We  must  have 
representatives  of  the  most  powerful  and  influential 
families  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a  reform  party.  Your 
father  is  old  and  bound  to  the  traditions  of  old 
Korea.  The  system  that  made  him  great  and  rich  is 
as  dear  to  him  as  his  life.  Your  brother  has  received 
petty  rank,  and  hopes  vainly  for  more.  The  slug 
gish  stream  of  the  dead  past  flows  through  their 
veins.  If  you  marry  this  woman  you  will  be  forced 
by  the  combined  influences  of  these  two  patrician 
families  along  the  same  lines.  Her  father  has  prom 
ised  a  large  property;  your  father  has  promised 
political  aid,  which  he  cannot  give.  You  are  the 
binding  link  between  the  two,  and  you  will  be  in  the 
vortex  of  an  endless  family  intrigue.  I  have  watched 
you  closely  for  the  last  five  years,  and  found  that 
you  can  think  and  act  independently.  The  day  after 
your  marriage  to  that  creature  you  will  find  that 


98  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

the  ancestry  of  both  families,  dead  men  that  they  are, 
will  hang  upon  your  neck.  The  law  of  custom  will 
order  your  life,  and  you  will  be  the  facsimile  of  any 
one  of  the  hordes  of  our  people  that  follow  the  rou 
tine  taught  them  by  oppressive  laws,  customs  and  be 
lief.  Is  the  woman  hunchback  and  imbecile?  Her 
form  will  be  a  model  of  beauty,  and  her  mind  a  gem 
of  brilliancy,  compared  with  the  deformed  and  be 
sotted  future  that  life  itself  will  be  to  you." 

Tong-siki,  while  speaking  low,  spoke  with  great 
vehemence. 

"O !"  he  added,  after  a  pause,  "I  see  you  don't  un 
derstand.  I  should  have  presented  the  matter  dif 
ferently.  You  are  familiar,  in  a  measure,  with  the 
Boxer  movement  to  better  the  conditions  of  the 
people.  They  expect  to  secure  the  cooperation  of 
such  a  mass  of  people  that  they  will  be  able  to  march 
unhindered  to  the  capital  and  establish  a  new  order 
of  things.  What  think  you  that  order  would  be  ?  It 
would  be  as  much  \vorse  than  the  present,  as  they 
are  beneath  the  present  rulers  in  knowledge  and  ex 
perience.  They  want  a  reform  of  force ;  but  when  I 
want  a  secretary  I  don't  employ  an  ox  because  he  has 
an  abundance  of  muscle.  My  idea  is  that  every  gov 
ernment  is  on  the  whole  as  good  as  the  individual 
citizen.  Reform  there  must  be,  but  it  must  come 
through  the  families  of  the  nobles.  I  have  dreamed 
of  a  great  school  of  our  families  of  rank  studying 
law  and  justice,  and  administering  for  the  happiness 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  99 

of  the  people.  You,  Sung-yo,"  he  added,  "as  a 
representative  of  the  great  Sung-ji's  clan,  are  in  a 
position  to  take  the  initiative  for  the  North  country, 
and  aid  in  making  our  country  what  it  was  in  the 
early  ages  the — the  arbiter  of  civilization  and  a 
blessing  to  the  world." 

Tong-siki  delivered  his  appeal  with  all  the  earn 
estness  of  his  soul,  while  the  hunger  in  his  eyes  deep 
ened  as  he  waited  for  my  answer. 

I  had  turned  my  face  down  the  stream  waiting  for 
an  inspiration  to  form  a  reply  to  an  appeal  that  had 
bewildered  me  with  its  vehemence.  Looking  back  I 
met  his  gaze  full  upon  me. 

"You  spoke  beyond  my  comprehension,"  I  at  last 
replied.  "If  you  are  counting  upon  my  readiness  to 
do  something  for  our  people  you  have  not  misjudged 
me,  but  the  extent  of  your  idea  is  bewildering." 

All  day  long  we  sat  apart  from  the  rest,  and  he 
told  me  the  story  of  his  hopes  and  plans,  and  I  was 
astonished  at  the  extent  of  the  information  that  he 
possessed.  He  talked  to  me  as  one  of  the  sages.  He 
told  the  story  of  our  country's  wrongs ;  he  pictured 
the  miseries  of  our  common  people  living  under  an 
intolerable  system  of  intrigue  and  exploitation;  he 
told  me  the  story  of  our  ancient  greatness  and  pic 
tured  what  we  might  be  in  glowing  colors;  he 
pleaded  for  manhood  that  would  suffer  for  the  right 
with  gladness.  His  travels  had  made  him  believe 
that  the  powers  of  the  world  were  reaching  out  after 


ioo  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

new  fields  for  exploitation,  and  that  unless  Korea 
speedily  shook  herself  loose  from  the  past  and  took 
on  new  life  her  doom  was  close  at  hand. 

As  the  days  of  our  journey  slipped  by  a  new  con 
ception  of  affairs  took  form  and  grew  within  me,  and 
I  found  myself  asking  the  question,  "Am  I  destined 
to  become  a  rebel  to  his  Majesty  and  the  government 
that  now  is?"  I  had  reached  no  decision,  but  was 
thinking.  The  third  day  on  our  return,  Tong-siki 
smiled  to  see  me  slip  off  my  delicate  deerskin  shoes 
and  put  on  rough  straw  sandals,  and  when  I  cut  my 
long  finger  nails,  he  seemed  satisfied.  But  there 
were  other  events  coming  in  rapid  succession  that 
hurled  me  out  of  the  old  social  caste  into  a  life  of 
which  even  Tong-siki  had  not  dreamed. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  the  wind 
changed  to  the  southeast,  and  the  sky  took  on  a  yel 
low  cast.  While  there  were  no  clouds,  the  sun  shone 
through  the  mist  with  difficulty,  and  in  the  mid- 
afternoon  seemed  like  a  red  ball  in  the  sky.  The 
boat-men  became  uneasy.  "Looks  like  the  rainy 
season,"  they  said. 

That  night  when  we  tied  up  to  the  river  bank  the 
light  cotton  covering  was  replaced  by  heavy  swamp- 
grass  mats.  In  the  morning  we  arose  late,  being  de 
ceived  in  the  time  by  the  darkness  that  prevailed. 
It  was  believed  that  the  summer  rains  threatened  us. 
We  resolved,  however,  to  push  on  and  make  home 
before  the  river  could  rise  sufficiently  to  make  boat- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  101 

ing  dangerous.  A  sail  helped  us  much,  and  on  reach 
ing  the  rapids  our  servants  joined  the  boatmen 
waist-deep  in  the  stream,  lifting  and  tugging  cheer 
fully.  When  night  came  again  we  found  ourselves 
so  far  from  any  village  or  friendly  inn  that  we  de 
cided  to  remain  on  the  boat,  and,  too,  it  was  believed 
that  by  starting  at  dawn  home  could  be  reached  be 
fore  noon  of  the  next  day.  We  made  fast  to  the 
shore  at  both  the  prow  and  stern,  and  stretched  the 
mat  covering  tight  and  fastened  it  down. 

I  was  awakened  at  the  first  cockcrow  by  the  shout 
of  the  boatmen  as  they  tugged  at  our  craft  to  re- 
secure  it  farther  up  the  bank.  Rain  was  falling.  We 
were  sheltered  behind  a  line  of  hills  and  there  seemed 
to  be  little  wind,  but  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents 
and  the  roar  was  deafening.  A  stream  of  water 
found  its  way  through  the  mats,  and  trickled  down 
on  my  face.  Hastily  lighting  a  candle,  I  found  my 
companions  sitting  up  and  gazing  overhead,  vainly 
trying  to  locate  leaks  in  the  roof.  We  smoothed  the 
mats  and  readjusted  them,  but  the  deluge  found  an 
increasing  number  of  holes.  Finally  we  piled  our 
effects  in  heaps  and  sat  upon  them,  and  covered  our 
selves  with  oiled-paper  umbrellas.  Soon  the  wind 
swept  up  the  river  and  attacked  the  flaps  of  our  mat 
roof.  A  sheet  of  rain  drove  the  length  of  the  boat 
and  put  out  the  light.  The  boatmen  crawled  in,  shiv 
ering  with  wet,  and  tried  to  fasten  the  flaps  down. 
Thus  we  watched  until  morning  struggled  through 


IO2  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

the  storm.  Then  the  boatmen  reported  that  the  river 
was  rising  rapidly,  and  demurred  about  continuing 
the  journey,  but  on  the  promise  of  a  reward  agreed 
to  push  on  immediately.  While  our  servants  started 
a  charcoal  fire  and  prepared  the  morning  meal,  they, 
loosing  the  boat,  harnessed  themselves  into  the  ropes 
and  started  to  tow  upstream,  accompanying  their 
efforts  by  the  usual  chant  "Oi-ha,  oi-ha."  The  rain 
fall  was  astonishing,  deluging  everything.  Torrents 
poured  down  the  mountainside,  a  roaring  cataract 
from  the  frowning  cliffs.  After  breakfast  our  serv 
ants  added  their  weight  to  the  ropes.  About  mid- 
forenoon  Tong-siki  joined  them,  leaving  the  danc 
ing  girls  and  myself  the  only  occupants  of  the  boat. 
Finally,  reaching  a  high  cliff  that  stood  perpendicu 
lar  to  the  water's  edge,  we  were  compelled  to  row 
across  the  stream.  Ordinarily  at  this  point  the  river 
is  quiet,  and  the  feat  easily  accomplished.  Now, 
however,  it  was  a  great  flood,  and  when  we  had 
arrived  at  the  other  bank  we  had  drifted  a  half  mile 
down  stream.  The  question  of  continuing  the  jour 
ney  was  again  debated,  but  as  the  present  landing  was 
exposed  to  the  wind  that  had  now  become  furious, 
we  decided  to  push  on.  At  the  end  of  an  hour's  tug 
ging  at  the  ropes  we  found  ourselves  confronted  with 
a  wall  of  rocks  running  along  the  river  at  a  distance 
of  one  thousand  feet.  Our  present  position  was 
made  perilous  by  a  bend  in  the  river  forcing  the  cur 
rent  to  the  point  we  occupied.  Fastening  our  supply 


EVVA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  103 

of  ropes  together,  one  was  made  about  three  hun 
dred  feet  in  length ;  and  two  of  the  boatmen  carried 
it  up  the  face  of  the  cliff  and  out  on  a  spur  of  rock 
which  extended  into  the  stream  some  distance  farther 
than  where  our  boat  lay.  They  clung  to  the  rocks, 
while  the  wind  and  rain  seemed  at  times  on  the  point 
of  sweeping  them  into  the  gulf  fifty  feet  below.  They 
made  fast  and  signalled  for  us  to  pull.  Two  of  our 
number  began  reeling  in  the  rope,  while  others  with 
long  poles  kept  the  craft  from  the  rocks.  The  mat 
covering  to  the  boat  had  been  entirely  discarded,  hav 
ing  been  pulled  down  to  facilitate  the  movements  of 
the  boatmen.  The  two  dancing  girls  huddled  to 
gether  under  heavy  mats  in  the  center  of  the  boat. 
The  sides  of  the  boat  were  only  eighteen  inches  above 
water,  and  as  the  current  swept  down  upon  us  we 
were  in  constant  danger  of  being  swamped,  so  the 
dancing  girls  were  called  upon  to  bail.  They  pre 
sented  a  ludicrous  appearance  with  the  paint  streaked 
about  their  faces  and  necks,  and  their  gaudy  cloth 
ing,  the  colors  all  intermingling,  clinging  to  them, 
but  no  one  thought  of  laughing.  By  prodigious 
effort  we  reached  the  projection  where  the  rope  was 
fastened,  and  on  looking  from  that  point  found  there 
was  another  sweep  inward  and  a  projection  of  rock, 
carrying  the  shore  in  a  half  circle  still  farther  in  the 
middle  of  the  stream.  The  cliff  overhead  seemed  to 
present  a  smooth  face,  impossible  to  climb  beyond 
the  spur  where  our  boatmen  stood.  We  watched  a 


IO4  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

debate  taking  place  between  the  men  on  the  spur, 
who  finally,  leaving  the  rope  fastened  on  the  rock, 
made  their  way  back  by  a  zig-zag  course  down  to  our 
boat.  They  declared  that  in  the  storm  it  would  be 
impossible  to  climb  the  face  of  the  cliff,  and  with  a 
rope  tied  to  a  man's  waist  the  feat  was  beyond  a 
moment's  consideration. 

The  river  was  rising  rapidly,  and  we  had  spent  an 
hour  in  the  first  movement.  Another  hour  and  it 
would  be  impossible  to  cross  the  stream  beyond  the 
ledge,  while  to  remain  in  that  current  would  be  the 
loss  of  the  boat  with  its  freight.  This  information 
was  imparted  by  shouts,  as  the  storm  made  ordinary 
conversation  impossible.  I  had  already  noted  a  thun 
dering  sound  that  seemed  to  proceed  from  the  depths 
of  the  mountain.  It  came  with  rhythmic  precision 
and  with  seeming  acceleration.  Tong-siki  and  I 
made  our  way  around  the  projection  of  rock  in  front 
till  we  saw  where  it  shelved  inward  half  way  up  the 
cliff,  and  at  the  edge  of  the  water  opened  up  a  great 
cavern  in  the  mountainside.  From  the  cavern  burst 
upon  us  a  thunderous  roll  of  contending  powers 
within.  It  was  as  if  the  artillery  of  the  gods  had 
been  arrayed  in  contending  armies.  The  water  in 
front  foamed  and  eddied,  and  hissing  like  a  huge  ser 
pent  with  raised  crest,  plunged  down  the  throat  of 
the  roaring  cavern,  then  recoiled,  broken  into  thou 
sands  of  shining  atoms,  and  fell  murmuring  at  the 
foot  of  the  cliff.  Then  followed  the  cannonading 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  105 

that  seemed  to  shake  the  rock  on  which  we  stood. 
We  watched  the  river  again  gather  her  forces  and 
hurl  herself  into  the  face  of  the  mountain,  then  again 
listened  to  its  riotous  roar  and  thunder.  Finally, 
turning  to  make  our  way  back  to  the  boat,  we  were 
met  by  a  white  and  trembling  boatman.  He  had  been 
looking  into  the  cavern  and  his  teeth  chattered  with 
terror. 

'The  water  demon!  we  are  lost!  I-go-o!"  he 
wailed. 

Tong-siki  seized  him  by  the  shoulder,  shook  him 
and  stood  him  on  his  feet  with  fierce  imprecations. 
Then  we  ran  back  to  the  boat,  and  Tong-siki  stood 
some  minutes  intently  surveying  the  cliff.  Finally 
he  singled  out  one  of  the  boatmen  and  shouted  some 
thing  in  his  ear,  then,  taking  up  a  coil  of  light  rope, 
they  started  up  the  spur  and  reached  the  rock  where 
the  rope  was  fastened.  Tong-siki  proceeded  to  fas 
ten  it  around  his  waist,  and  motioned  to  those  below 
to  pay  out  the  slack.  The  boatmen  remained  at  this 
point  to  haul  up  the  rope,  and  make  it  as  light  as  pos 
sible  for  Tong-siki,  who  began  to  climb  the  face  of 
the  cliff.  From  where  we  stood  he  seemed  but  a 
white  blotch  on  the  face  of  the  rocks.  He  moved 
slowly,  feeling  his  way,  seizing  the  projection  of  a 
rock  here  and  another  there,  then,  pausing  to  balance 
himself,  he  pulled  the  rope  up  after  him  and  deposited 
the  slack  on  a  rocky  projection,  then  again  moved  on. 
Sometimes  he  came  to  a  halt  and  would  wait  a  full 


io6  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

minute  motionless,  and  we  would  hold  our  breath, 
wondering  if  he  had  given  up,  or  if  he  had  grown 
dizzy,  and  would  lose  his  hold  to  be  plunged  into  the 
boiling  flood  a  hundred  feet  below.  Occasionally  a 
gust  of  wind  would  sweep  up  across  the  face  of  the 
cliff,  mercilessly  pelting  the  clinging  man  and  almost 
hiding  him  from  our  view  in  the  torrent  of  rain.  At 
such  times  he  would  cling  motionless  to  the  face  of 
the  rock,  and  when  the  force  of  the  wind  had  mo 
mentarily  spent  itself,  move  on  and  then  halt  again. 

Suddenly,  above  the  noise  of  the  river  and  the 
storm,  a  roar  broke  upon  us. 

The  mountains  of  this  section  of  the  country  are 
very  precipitous,  and  are  usually  as  bare  of  covering 
as  the  face  of  a  rock,  the  heavy  rains  of  summer 
having  washing  them  clean  of  every  particle  of  soil. 
Some  years,  however,  the  rains  of  summer  are  light 
and  allow  a  growth  on^the  mountainsides.  Such  had 
been  the  summers  for  the  last  decade,  and  extended 
green  slopes  met  and  gladdened  the  eyes  everywhere. 
Occasionally  the  soil  that  had  so  collected  would  be 
caught  by  a  freshet  and  swept  down  the  mountain 
side,  accumulating  in  material  until  rocks  and  bowl 
ders,  breaking  loose,  form  a  landslide  of  appalling 
magnitude,  and  thundering  down  the  mountain,  fill 
the  valley  with  debris.  Such  was  now  taking  place. 
Far  up  on  the  mountain,  a  mile  away,  the  movement 
had  begun  and  was  roaring  down  upon  us. 

I  looked  at  Tong-sikt.    He  had  heard  it  and  was 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  107 

gazing  upward.  Twenty  feet  of  rock  still  towered 
above  him.  He  could  not  have  moved  a  yard  from 
where  he  stood  before  the  coming  shock  would  be 
upon  him.  We,  in  the  boat,  were  rooted  to  where  we 
stood,  while  on  came  the  landslide,  roaring  and  thun 
dering,  as  if  worlds  were  in  conflict.  Suddenly  a 
huge  bowlder,  as  if  hurled  by  some  mighty  power 
from  the  mountain,  shot  out  from  the  cliff  some  fifty 
yards  in  advance  of  where  Tong-siki  stood.  A  fu 
sillade  of  rock  followed  and  the  mountain  trembled, 
then  a  great  yellow  mass  rolled  and  tumbled  in  mid 
air,  shutting  out  the  view  of  sky,  plain,  and  river  in 
our  front.  The  river  sprang  up  and  seemed  to  meet 
the  falling  mountain.  Dust,  sand,  and  fragments  of 
stone  dashed  into  our  boat  and  around  us.  Follow 
ing  the  echo  of  the  falling  rock,  a  huge  wave  carried 
us  high  up  on  the  side  of  the  rocks  and  left  us  on  a 
smooth  ledge,  partly  submerged. 

At  the  appearance  of  the  falling  rock,  we  had  in 
stinctively  ducked  our  heads  and  seized  the  sides  of 
the  boat.  The  act  saved  us  from  being  washed  over 
board.  I  looked  around  at  my  companions.  One  of 
the  dancing  girls  was  still  clinging  to  the  side  with 
blanched  face  and  chattering  teeth,  gazing  at  some 
thing  in  the  stream.  I  looked — a  bright,  red  garment 
floated  for  a  moment,  was  caught  in  an  eddy  and  a 
delicate  hand  swung  aloft,  then  disappeared.  The 
rest  of  our  party  stood  halfway  to  the  waist  in  water, 
but  safe.  I  looked  for  Tong-siki,  but  for  full  five 


io8  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

minutes  the  cloud  of  dust,  in  spite  of  the  beating  rain, 
whirled  and  eddied  over  the  front  of  the  cliff,  then  a 
white  patch  was  seen.  There  he  stood,  still  looking 
upward.  The  overhanging  rock  had  saved  his  life, 
and  as  I  watched  I  marveled  that  he  did  not  move  on. 
A  moment  later  I  saw  the  reason.  Beyond  him,  to 
the  left,  a  muddy  stream  was  pouring  over  the  cliff. 
At  the  top  it  shot  out  from  the  face  of  the  rock,  large 
and  threatening;  but  before  reaching  the  river  it 
seemed  to  be  lost  in  the  pouring  rain.  To  return 
would  mean  death  to  us  all,  and  no  one  knew  this  bet 
ter  than  he.  We  all  waited  with  suspended  breath 
for  his  decision.  If  he  should  attempt  to  pass  under 
the  stream,  and  the  wind  should  hurl  it  against  the 
face  of  the  rock,  it  would  sweep  him  off  like  a  peb 
ble.  We  saw  him  with  infinite  care  remove  the  rope 
from  around  his  waist  and  hang  it  loosely  from  his 
shoulder,  that  he  might  release  it  in  case  of  a  blow 
from  the  stream.  He  gathered  the  slack  rope  to  the 
place  where  he  stood,  then  moved  slowly  upward, 
safely  under  the  stream,  and  beyond  to  the  top  of  the 
ledge,  then  a  great  sob  broke  from  our  lips. 

We  were  called  to  action  by  the  chief  boatman 
pointing  out  marks  of  rapidly  rising  water,  and 
under  his  direction  we  all  climbed  out  on  the  ledge 
with  the  purpose  of  releasing  the  boat,  but  it  did  not 
float.  The  rock  pointed  upward  from  the  face  of  the 
mountain,  and  the  edge  of  the  shelf  thrust  farthest 
in  the  river  was  the  highest.  Following  the  boat- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  109 

man's  orders,  we  all  stood  out  on  the  extreme  edge 
of  the  rock,  and,  assisted  by  the  current,  lifted  the 
boat  partly  on  its  side  and  thus  slightly  emptied  it, 
so  that  when  we  released  our  hold  it  floated.  Two 
of  our  number  took  off  their  coats,  and  holding  both 
ends,  used  them  to  bail  out  the  water.  At  last,  a 
gourd  was  fished  out  from  beneath  the  planking  over 
the  bottom  and  the  task  finished.  Already  the  man 
stationed  on  the  spur  overhead  was  signalling  by 
vigorous  pulls  on  the  rope  to  move  ahead.  Beyond 
him,  far  out  on  the  next  projection,  stood  Tong-siki 
with  the  rope  fastened,  quietly  waiting  for  us. 

As  I  looked  at  him,  standing  silently  in  the  dis 
tance,  somewhere  down  in  the  soul — where  instinct 
is  untrammeled  by  sophistry  or  prejudice,  where 
thoughts  are  feelings  and  years  of  mental  toil  are 
the  efforts  of  a  moment — I  gave  him  my  life.  He 
who  could  conquer  the  cliff  could  conquer  men  and 
lead  men.  From  that  moment  he  led  me. 

Our  task  was  only  begun.  The  poles  for  handling 
the  boat  had,  with  all  else,  been  swept  away.  When 
the  boat  swung  around  into  position,  it  was  noticed 
that  the  small  skiff  we  had  tied  to  the  stern  had 
broken  loose  and  had  become  wedged  in  between  two 
rocks.  The  stern  swung  back  and  forth  with  the 
current,  pausing  now  and  then,  as  if  on  the  point  of 
breaking  loose. 

The  men  at  the  front  of  our  craft  began  reeling  in 
the  rope,  while  others  unshipped  the  oars  and  planted 


no  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

them  against  the  rock,  pushing  with  all  their  strength 
to  keep  the  boat  out  in  the  stream.  Slowly,  we 
moved  forward  around  the  point.  Occasionally  the 
current  would  drive  us  up  into  the  rocks  with  a  force 
that  threatened  to  crush  the  boat.  By  prodigious 
effort,  we  would  work  her  off  again ;  then  the  men 
at  the  rope  would  pull  with  frantic  energy,  gaining 
a  foot,  then  again  we  would  be  hurled  back  on  the 
rocks.  The  repeated  blows  soon  opened  a  leak  in  the 
bottom,  and  one  of  our  number  gave  his  whole  time 
bailing  the  water.  At  last  our  craft  crawled  away 
from  the  rocky  projection  and  swung  loose  into  a 
bay-like  formation,  that  curved  into  the  cave.  The 
water  had  risen  since  Tong-siki  and  I  had  worked 
our  way  around  the  rocks  and  looked  at  the  cave,  and 
the  subterranean  cannonading  had  increased.  It 
thundered  and  bellowed  with  appalling  force,  and 
our  boatmen's  faces  blanched  with  superstitious  fear. 
The  landslide  had  partially  rilled  a  portion  of  the 
river  beyond  us,  sending  a  flood  in  the  direction  of 
the  cave.  Our  craft  struggled  and  plunged  as  the 
current  swept  it  from  side  to  side.  The  long  sweep 
at  the  stern  had  been  lost,  and  our  efforts  with  the 
paddles  made  slight  impression  in  the  effort  to  keep 
her  steady.  Again  and  again  we  seemed  on  the  point 
of  being  engulfed.  I  had  struggled  persistently  with 
one  of  the  oars,  and  my  hands  were  blistered  and 
bleeding,  but  I  did  not  notice  it  then.  Suddenly  a 
yell  from  one  of  the  boatmen  caused  us  all  to  look 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  in 

up  the  river.  A  dark  mass,  reaching  from  shore  to 
shore,  was  bearing  down  upon  us  with  frightful  ve 
locity.  In  appearance  it  was  a  wave  three  feet  high 
bearing  a  light  crest  that  boiled  and  foamed,  and 
seemed  to  sweep  in  advance  of  the  oncoming  mass. 
I  heard  shouts  about  me,  but  stood  stupefied.  Some 
where  up  the  river  a  cloudburst  was  sending  its  flood 
down  upon  us.  On  it  came,  and  I  had  a  faint  impres 
sion  that  our  boat  was  moving  rapidly  shoreward 
under  the  renewed  efforts  of  our  men.  It  seemed  as 
if  but  a  breath  had  passed,  from  the  time  we  first  saw 
the  flood  until  it  struck  the  obstruction  in  the  river 
above  us,  formed  by  the  recent  landslide.  The  spray 
sprang  into  the  air,  hiding  the  river  for  a  moment, 
giving  one  the  impression  that  there  had  been  a 
pause,  but  instantly  the  water  had  divided  and  part 
plunged  through  the  narrow  channel  toward  us  with 
increased  velocity.  The  monster  rose  at  our  side  and 
instantly  I  was  in  the  water.  Instinctively  I  held  my 
breath,  and  it  seemed  that  I  would  never  come  to  the 
surface.  I  was  conscious  of  being  carried  along  with 
the  current,  and  wondered  if  it  were  to  the  mouth  of 
the  cave.  When  my  head  shot  above  the  surface,  I 
had  already  been  carried  outside  the  point.  What  a 
distance  the  boat  seemed  away !  It  had  the  appear 
ance  of  having  swung  sidewise  to  a  rocky  wall,  to 
which  the  occupants  were  clinging.  I  caught  only  a 
glimpse  of  it  and  was  swept  onward.  I  strove  to 
keep  my  head  above  water,  hoping  that  the  current 


H2  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

would  carry  me  in  to  the  shore.  The  skiff  had  been 
lifted  out  of  the  rocks  and  carried  shoreward  and 
was  circulating  in  an  eddy,  as  if  traveling  upstream. 
The  gentleness  with  which  it  rode  on  the  surface 
seemed  to  mock  me  in  my  struggles  as  I  swept  by. 
Some  distance  ahead  of  me  was  a  line  of  rocks  pro 
jecting  from  the  shore.  The  current  seemed  kind 
and  bore  me  directly  upon  the  last  bowlder,  which 
rose  full  a  foot  above  the  flood.  I  seized  a  projection 
of  the  rock,  and  was  flung  like  a  cork  to  the  opposite 
side.  I  closed  my  teeth  and  strained  to  pull  myself 
forward  on  the  stone.  The  torrent  poured  around 
both  sides,  meeting  at  my  waist,  and  after  a  mo 
ment's  desperate  struggle,  it  tore  my  hands  loose  and 
hurled  me  farther  into  the  stream.  Immediately  a 
dark  object  loomed  up  at  my  side;  instinctively  I 
grabbed  for  it,  and  found  my  hand  grasping  the  side 
of  our  lost  skiff.  I  was  too  exhausted  to  do  more 
than  to  cling  to  its  side  as  we  swept  on  downstream. 
Finally,  I  felt  my  way  to  the  stern  of  the  skiff. 

Swimming  had  been  the  one  athletic  sport  of 
which  I  was  fond,  and  the  practice  came  to  good  pur 
pose  now.  Tong-siki  and  I  had  often  turned  a  skiff 
loose  and  tried  the  feat  of  climbing  aboard  without 
upsetting  it.  It  took  me  a  long  time,  but  I  finally 
accomplished  the  feat.  Now,  however,  I  was  greatly 
at  a  disadvantage.  The  boat  was  in  rapid  motion 
and  my  strength  exhausted.  When  I  had  reached 
the  stern,  I  worked  the  skiff  until  it  pointed  directly 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  113 

with  the  current.  With  hands  on  both  sides,  I  began 
a  teetering  motion,  that  as  the  skiff  sank  would 
bring  my  waist  out  of  the  water,  intending  to  throw 
myself  across  the  stern.  Repeatedly  the  current 
seized  the  boat  and  threw  it  sidewise  to  the  stream, 
compelling  me  to  slide  back  into  the  water.  At  last 
I  lay  exhausted  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

Looking  back  I  could  see  nothing  of  the  place 
where  the  disaster  had  overtaken  us.  Even  the 
mountain  was  hid  from  view  by  intervening  hills. 
I  bailed  the  water  out  of  the  boat  by  sopping  it  up 
with  my  coat,  and  wringing  the  garment  over  the 
side.  The  river,  which  forty-eight  hours  ago,  was 
a  quiet,  harmless  stream,  had  become  a  raging  flood. 
How  fast  it  flowed!  I  was  in  constant  danger  of 
being  dashed  against  ragged  rocks  near  shore.  Sev 
eral  times  I  held  my  breath,  expecting  the  boat  to 
be  crushed  like  an  eggshell,  then  the  current  would 
swing  me  clear  and  hurl  the  skiff  in  the  middle  of  the 
river.  Down  these  rapids  I  went  like  a  race  horse. 
The  hills  danced  by,  as  if  the  whole  transaction  was 
a  merry  game.  Finally  I  noted  a  turn  of  the  stream, 
where  the  mountains  recede  and  the  banks  are  com 
paratively  low.  The  flood  had  stretched  out  across 
the  plain,  and  it  presented  the  appearance  of  a  great 
lake.  I  leaned  over  the  side  of  the  boat  and  tried  to 
paddle  it  out  upon  the  quieter  water  of  the  plain. 
Just  as  I  thought  I  had  gained  my  point,  I  found  it 
slowly  drifting  back  into  the  rapid  current. 


H4  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

Out  in  midstream  floated  a  house  with  a  man 
astride  the  roof.  He  shouted  to  me  to  come  and  help 
him.  A  donkey  struggled  in  the  current,  his  head 
laid  out  on  the  water  with  his  long  ears  floating 
back,  as  if  they  were  too  heavy  to  be  longer  sup 
ported.  Other  houses  there  were,  some  roofless, 
others  breaking  up.  On  one  roof  were  several  half- 
drowned  chickens,  among  them  a  rooster  trying 
to  crow. 

Along  the  banks  of  the  river  everywhere,  people 
had  gathered  to  watch  the  flood,  but  none  dared  to 
venture  out  upon  it.  I  gave  up  all  attempts  to  work 
the  boat  ashore,  and  gave  my  efforts  to  keeping  off 
from  the  rocks.  By  moving  suddenly  from  one  end 
to  the  other  and  by  rocking  the  skiff  vigorously,  I 
was  able  sometimes  to  change  the  direction ;  thus  I 
often  avoided  being  shattered  on  these  ragged  foes. 
Finally,  the  skiff  shot  out  into  the  broad  river,  where 
it  is  met  by  a  branch  from  the  south.  The  danger  of 
rocks  became  much  less,  and  an  hour  later  I  was 
opposite  the  city  of  Pyeng-Yang.  The  flood  had 
swept  the  shore  clear  of  its  many  houses,  and  the 
place,  where  a  few  days  ago  the  people  jostled  each 
other  in  trade,  was  ten  feet  under  water.  My  skiff 
rode  level  with  the  city  streets,  and  I  could  look 
through  the  gates  upon  flooded  streets  as  I  swept  by. 
Great  effort  was  being  made  to  save  property.  A 
man  sculling  a  skiff  darted  out  on  the  stream,  seized 
a  stick  of  floodwood  and  scurried  back  to  shore.  I 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  115 

called  to  him  for  help.  He  looked  at  the  river  a  mo 
ment  and  started.  I  was  already  some  distance  be 
low  him,  but  he  gained  on  me  rapidly  until  he  struck 
the  center  of  the  current.  Either  he  became  ex 
hausted  or  the  flood  appalled  him.  He  fumbled  with 
the  paddle  and  drifted.  Recovering  himself,  he 
started  back  for  the  shore  and  reached  it  a  long  dis 
tance  below  the  city.  I  called  again  for  help,  but  he 
gazed  after  me  in  silence. 

Night  came  on.  The  rain  had  ceased  and  the  wind 
died  out.  How  dark  it  grew !  I  could  scarcely  see 
the  water  over  the  sides  of  the  boat,  until  at  last  ab 
solute  darkness  prevailed.  On  the  boat  glided  with 
merciless  persistency,  on  toward  the  great  sea.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  vindictive  demons  of  the  cave  had 
seized  my  boat  and  were  urging  it  on  to  hurl  it  upon 
some  sunken  rock,  or  at  last,  when  weary  of  the  wild 
frolic,  overwhelm  me  in  the  flood.  I  had  been  on  a 
physical  and  mental  strain  all  day,  and  had  fought 
with  death  continually  since  mid-afternoon,  and  had 
eaten  nothing  since  morning.  I  was  utterly  ex 
hausted,  and  as  I  leaned  forward  over  the  prow, 
staring  into  the  inky  blackness  ahead,  a  thousand 
fancies  darted  through  my  brain.  The  foolish  super 
stitions  of  our  race,  familiar  to  me  from  childhood, 
filled  my  mind  with  gruesome  forms ;  unnatural  light 
sparkled  before  my  eyes,  and  the  ghoulish  laugh 
ter  of  water  demons  echoed  around  my  boat,  while 
overhead  I  heard  the  sighs  and  moans  of  departed 


n6  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

spirits.  I  lay  shivering  with  the  cold  and  my  foolish 
terrors.  How  long  I  had  ridden  in  the  dark  in  this 
state  of  mind,  I  do  not  know,  when  suddenly  I  felt 
a  great  shock  and  a  sharp  blow  across  my  back.  I 
sprang  up  to  a  sitting  position  and  found  my  head  in 
the  limbs  of  a  tree.  My  first  thought,  after  awaken 
ing  from  my  fright,  was  that  I  had  run  into  over 
hanging  limbs  from  shore,  but  on  a  moment's  reflec 
tion  I  concluded,  from  the  absence  of  much  commo 
tion  in  the  water,  that  the  tree  must  be  floating,  and 
so  it  proved.  I  welcomed  the  encounter  as  it  drove 
from  me  the  terrors  of  the  water.  I  pushed  the  boat 
out  from  it,  and  tried  to  circle  the  floating  mass,  and 
had  crept  nearly  the  length  of  the  tree  by  reaching 
over  the  end  of  the  skiff  and  working  from  limb  to 
limb — when  the  tree  turned  partly  over.  Suddenly 
a  scream,  half  human,  half  animal,  filled  me  with 
panic  and  I  lost  my  hold.  There  was  a  scramble  in 
the  branches  and  something  landed  in  my  boat, 
splashing  the  water  over  my  face,  and  scurried  to  the 
opposite  end,  then  all  was  silent.  The  skiff  glided 
on.  "What  was  that?"  I  asked  myself,  with  all  my 
terrors  returning.  I  dared  not  investigate,  and  sat 
in  the  further  end  of  the  skiff.  I  had  been  taught 
from  infancy  to  believe  profoundly  in  demons  and 
their  wanton  pranks  on  men,  and  through  the  hours 
of  the  longest  night  of  my  life,  I  sat  staring  at  the 
blackness  that  hid  the  opposite  end  of  the  boat. 
Sometimes,  by  a  slight  breeze,  I  was  conscious  of 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  117 

riding  backwards  or  sidewise  to  the  current,  but  I 
did  not  turn  my  gaze  from  the  front.  Sometimes 
I  imagined  I  saw  a  dark,  silent  figure  rise  up  out  of 
the  boat  and  expanding  to  gigantic  proportions,  lean 
toward  me,  yet  I  dared  not  cry  out.  If  I  could  only 
hear  something,  a  hiss,  a  cry,  or  a  roar;  but  the 
silence  remained  unbroken,  except  the  sound  of  water 
as  it  danced  around  my  boat. 

With  what  joy  I  welcomed  the  first  gray  light  that 
showed  me  my  hands  when  I  held  them  to  my  eyes, 
then  the  boat  around  where  I  sat.  Eagerly  I  peered 
into  the  other  end,  but  there  was  nothing.  The  light 
increased  and  I  rubbed  my  eyes  and  looked  again, 
then  crawled  on  hands  and  knees  to  the  other  end  of 
the  boat,  and  carefully  looked  at  the  seat  where  my 
supposed  spectre  companion  had  sat  during  the 
night.  Then  two  small,  gray  eyes  gazed  curiously 
back  at  me  from  under  the  seat.  On  second  exami 
nation,  I  recognized  my  companion  as  a  house  cat 
that  I  had  unintentionally  rescued  from  the  flood. 

Fog  had  settled  down  upon  the  river,  and  I  was 
unable  to  see  two  lengths  of  the  boat.  In  utter  ex 
haustion  I  threw  myself  full  length  in  the  boat  and 
was  lost  in  sleep.  How  long  I  lay  there  I  do  not 
know,  but  when  I  awoke  the  fog  was  still  covering 
the  water  like  a  heavy  blanket.  A  rhythmic  rise  and 
fall  of  the  boat  startled  me.  I  tried  to  rise  to  look 
about,  but  at  first  was  too  stiff  and  sore  to  move. 
Something  warm  against  me  caused  me  to  look 


nS  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

down.  There  lay  my  companion,  curled  up  to  keep 
warm.  She  was  breathing  contentedly  with  a  soft, 
whispering  purr,  and  I  was  glad.  I  painfully  sat  up 
and  noted  carefully  the  water  about  the  boat,  tasted 
it  and  concluded,  as  it  afterwards  proved,  that  we 
were  in  the  swells  of  the  sea. 

I  was  still  at  the  mouth  of  the  estuary  and  the  tide 
was  running  out.  Hours  later  the  fog  lifted  and  a 
light  wind  from  the  north  set  in.  The  sun,  which 
came  struggling  through  the  mist,  seemed  to  indicate 
mid-afternoon.  I  could  look  back  upon  the  distant 
shores  with  their  towering  mountains  standing  out 
in  strong,  rugged  relief  against  the  sky.  How  near 
they  seemed !  yet  it  would  have  taken  hours  to  reach 
them,  though  I  had  been  provided  with  sails.  I 
hoped  that  the  incoming  tide  would  drive  the  skiff 
within  reach  of  the  shore.  As  far  as  I  could  see 
there  were  no  fishermen  on  the  bay.  The  recent 
storm  had  driven  them  all  ashore. 

Again  night  was  upon  me,  and  the  wind  had  died 
out.  I  watched  the  stars  as  they  came  out  one  by 
one,  and  it  seemed  at  one  time  that  I  was  drifting 
shoreward,  but,  soon  to  my  dismay,  the  fog  settled 
so  heavily  that  I  might  have  drifted  within  an  arm's 
length  of  shore  "without  knowing  it/'  My  com 
panion  curled  up  against  me  and  gave  vent  to  her 
discontent  by  soft  mews,  and  I  wondered  if  she  was 
as  thirsty  as  I  was.  I  never  look  back  to  those 
days  and  nights  of  burning  thirst  that  I  do  not 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  119 

wonder  why  the  magistrates  do  not  adopt  that  plan 
of  torture,  instead  of  the  paddle,  for  nothing  could 
be  more  excruciating.  I  tore  up  the  covering  of 
the  bottom  of  my  boat.  A  quart  or  more  of  rain 
water  had  settled  there,  but  when  I  eagerly  stooped 
to  drink  it,  I  found  it  brackish.  Sea  water  had 
seeped  into  the  boat  and  mingled  with  it,  and  my 
thirst  raged  worse  than  before,  having  swallowed 
up  all  other  sense  of  feeling  and  caused  me  to 
forget  hunger.  Through  the  night  I  lay  on  the 
bottom  of  the  boat,  sometimes  half  asleep,  but 
always  tortured.  Along  towards  morning  I  called 
repeatedly,  and  an  echo  came  from  the  shore  and 
I  knew  that  I  was  near  land.  I  called  till  my 
parched  lips  refused  to  respond  to  my  effort.  When 
the  light  dawned  the  fog  had  lifted  and  rain  again 
threatened.  One  tide  had  come  in  and  had  carried 
me  near  shore,  and  another  was  now  bearing  me 
out  to  sea  again. 

As  I  noted  the  movement  away  from  shore,  a  feel 
ing  of  stupefaction  came  over  me.  I  noticed,  but  in 
differently,  that  the  boat  took  a  direction  toward  a 
large  island  lying  parallel  to  the  shore.  It  seemed  to 
my  imagination  but  a  shadow  in  the  distance.  We 
people  of  the  East  are  charged  with  being  fatalists. 
Perhaps  my  experience  bears  out  that  idea,  for  I  had 
simply  given  up.  I  leaned  up  against  the  side  of  the 
boat  and  looked  across  at  the  cat.  She  sat  there 
looking  in  my  face,  her  feet  braced  before  her  like 


I2O  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

the  half  feline  images  fronting  the  palace  in  our  capi 
tal.  I  could  not  get  my  gaze  from  her,  and  a  pain 
ran  up  the  back  of  my  head  and  spread  out  all  over 
the  top.  The  cat's  head  seemed  to  grow  large  and  fill 
up  all  the  space  in  front  of  me.  I  thought  I  would 
strike  out  at  it,  then  it  receded  until  it  was  but  a 
speck  in  the  far  distance,  and  the  boat  seemed  to 
stretch  away  from  me.  Somehow  I  got  an  idea  that 
the  other  end  of  the  boat  had  started  for  the  shore 
and  the  tiny  cat  on  the  end  seemed  such  a  funny 
thing.  I  swung  my  arms  and  laughed.  A  wine  song 
with  which  our  dancing  girls  had  often  entertained 
us  echoed  through  my  brain ;  I  thought  I  was  sing 
ing  it,  perhaps  I  did  try.  At  last  I  came  to  myself 
again  and  found  that  I  had  been  lying  on  my  back 
with  my- face  skyward  and  the  rain  pouring  down 
upon  me.  I  rose  and  looked  around.  The  cat  had 
taken  refuge  under  the  seat,  and  I  felt  dizzy,  but 
everything  seemed  to  have  regained  their  normal 
proportions.  The  wind  had  risen  and  again  threat 
ened  the  skiff.  I  laid  on  my  back  and  tried  to  catch 
the  rain  drops  in  my  mouth.  All  feeling  in  my 
tongue  had  gone,  and  it  seemed  like  a  billet  of  wood. 
The  shore  was  far  away.  On  the  seaward  side  the 
island  was  much  nearer,  and  the  boat  was  running 
along  at  a  merry  rate. 

The  island  pointed  at  a  slight  angle  with  the  shore, 
so  that  the  west  end  swung  seaward  and  the  return 
ing  tide,  finding  less  control  at  that  end,  slipped 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  121 

away,  drawing  after  it,  as  it  were,  the  great  surface 
of  water  from  out  between  the  east  end  of  the  island 
and  the  distant  shore.  The  boat  was  approaching 
the  island,  and  I  was  in  doubt  whether  we  would  take 
the  sea  or  the  channel  side.  I  tried  to  watch  our 
progress,  but  light  danced  before  my  eyes  and  made 
the  effort  painful. 

Glancing  around,  I  saw  the  cat  licking  the  rain 
drops  from  the  seat.  It  gave  me  an  idea,  and  I  took 
off  my  coat  and  spread  out  the  center  on  the  seat  and 
gathered  the  sides  in  a  circle  to  form  a  dish.  The 
rain  came  down  heavily,  and  I  was  able  to  moisten 
my  mouth  and  feel  the  water  trickle  down  my  throat. 
When  I  looked  again,  we  were  drifting  rapidly  to 
ward  the  inside  of  the  island,  and  two  hours  later 
we  were  beside  the  east  end,  about  a  mile  off  shore. 
Then  there  came  a  pause  in  the  movement  of  the  tide, 
and  I  knew  it  would  not  be  long  before  it  would 
start  back,  carrying  me  toward  shore,  and  then, 
probably,  on  the  ebb  deposit  the  skiff  somewhere  out 
in  the  open  sea.  The  wind,  fortunately,  seemed  to 
have  spent  itself,  so  that  up  to  the  present,  since  I 
had  been  on  the  sea,  there  had  been  little  wind,  but 
such  a  state  could  not  last,  especially  as  it  was  now 
in  the  midst  of  our  rainy  season.  As  far  as  I  could 
see,  not  a  soul  inhabited  the  island.  It  was  as  silent 
as  the  bare  face  of  a  cliff,  as  indeed  it  appeared  to  be. 
Now  and  then,  however,  a  green  spot  seemed  to 
stretch  down  to  the  water's  edge,  and  the  green  min- 


122  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

gled  with  the  sea,  but  the  general  appearance  was 
forbidding  and  lifeless.  A  desire  to  live  brought 
back  my  strength,  and  I  reached  over  the  boat,  trying 
with  my  hands  to  urge  it  shoreward.  Heavy  swells 
were  setting  in,  and  I  could  not  tell  whether  I  was 
getting  nearer  or  not.  For  a  moment  my  boat  would 
pause  on  the  top  of  a  huge  swell,  then  scud  into  a 
valley  with  the  water  towering  above  me.  Long 
I  worked  without  looking  up.  When  I  did,  the  shore 
seemed  as  far  away  as  ever.  As  I  settled  back  in  the 
boat,  exhausted,  a  faint  object  glistened  on  the  water 
some  distance  westward.  It  proved  to  be  a  stick 
which  had  been  swept  from  shore  during  the  storm. 
I  watched  it  rise  on  a  wave,  it  seemed  to  move  to 
wards  me,  then  the  wave  would  sink  and  the  stick 
scud  away.  In  drifting  down  the  river,  I  had  passed 
scores  of  pieces  of  wood  nearer  than  this  one,  but 
they  had  all  eluded  my  grasp.  As  hopeless  as  it 
seemed — my  eyes  were  riveted  to  that  bit  of  floating 
wood. 

The  swells  rose  and  fell  and  the  distance  lessened 
between  me  and  it ;  then  I  realized  that  the  tide  had 
slowly  started  back  and  the  idea  of  being  again 
swung  like  a  pendulum  between  the  shore  and  the 
sea,  and  finally  engulfed  by  the  first  wave  maddened 
by  the  coming  wind,  was  appalling.  Using  my  hands 
for  a  paddle,  I  again  struggled  to  lessen  the  distance 
between  me  and  the  floating  stick.  The  wind  was 
freshening  from  the  east,  and  held  me  up  against  the 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  123 

tide,  and  after  an  hour's  labor  the  stick  was  one  wave 
length  away.  It  rose  on  the  crest  of  the  wave,  and  I 
leaned  across  the  prow  and  reached  frantically  for  it 
The  boat  dipped  water  and  the  stick  fell  away  with 
the  receding  wave.  Again  it  rose  nearer,  while  the 
boat  swung  around  and  balanced  on  the  crest  of  the 
wave.  For  a  moment,  the  wind  seemed  on  the  point 
of  driving  me  past  it.  Again  I  flung  myself  across 
the  prow  and  the  boat  partly  filled,  but  my  fingers 
closed  over  the  stick.  I  have  experienced  many  nar 
row  escapes  on  sea  and  land,  but  I  never  experienced 
such  a  thrill  of  joy  as  I  did  when  I  felt  my  fingers 
closing  over  the  end  of  the  rough  pole.  It  was 
crooked  and  round,  but  I  felt  that  I  could  win  my 
way  to  the  land.  Bailing  out  the  boat  once  more,  I 
headed  it  shoreward  and  laughed  to  find  it  under  my 
control. 

As  I  approached  the  island  I  noticed  a  long  gray 
line  of  sand  stretching  seaward  from  the  shore  and 
ending  in  a  black  fringe  of  mud,  over  which  the 
breakers  rolled  in  huge,  threatening  billows.  Soon  I 
was  in  the  current  of  the  tide  running  toward  the 
island.  The  wind  was  rising,  but  had  not  yet  made 
the  sea  choppy.  I  was  borne  aloft  on  the  crest  of  a 
huge  swell  and  then  shot  into  the  trough  of  the 
wave;  then,  again,  the  next  swell  would  bear  me 
aloft  and,  pausing  like  an  athlete,  hurl  me  farther 
landward.  Presently  a  roar  came  from  the  narrow 
strip  of  sand  and  fear  chilled  me,  but  death  there 


124  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

was  better  than  the  open  sea,  and  I  waited  for  the 
time  when  the  final  struggle  should  begin. 

The  cat  climbed  upon  my  shoulder  and  out  on  the 
prow,  balanced  herself  against  the  motion  of  the 
boat  and  sniffed  the  air,  then  yowled  with  a  pro 
longed  cry  of  mingled  fear  and  discontent  and  hid 
for  a  moment  under  the  seat ;  then  again  walked  the 
boat. 

We  paused  on  the  last  wave,  and  I  worked  the  pole 
furiously.  Forward  the  boat  shot  into  the  surf,  and 
I  was  out  into  the  seething  foam,  clinging  to  a  bowl 
der.  Glancing  back,  a  black  mass  of  water  towered 
above  me,  coming  on  with  foaming  crest,  a  monster 
furious  and  confident.  I  plunged  ahead,  and  was  in 
stantly  borne  forward  and  hurled  into  the  sand  and 
beaten  down.  As  the  wave  receded,  I  gained  a  foot 
hold  and  paused.  A  hand  from  somewhere  reached 
me  and  I  struggled  out  of  the  way  of  the  next  incom 
ing  wave. 

When  I  came  to  myself,  I  was  stretched  out  on 
the  sand,  and  the  surf  thundered  at  my  feet. 

"Water !"  I  called,  and  soon  a  gourd  was  placed 
in  my  hand  and  pressed  to  my  lips.  I  was  aware 
of  a  pair  of  dark  eyes  watching  me  with  awe-stricken 
wonder,  brown  hands,  carrying  marks  of  labor,  and 
an  eager  face,  bare  feet  and  rough  garments.  "A 
poor  farmer's  girl,"  I  thought. 

The  wind  freshened  and  the  sun  came  out  and 
warmed  me  where  I  lay.  At  last,  I  sat  up  and  look- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  125 

ing  around,  found  that  my  angel  of  mercy  had  gone. 
I  struggled  to  my  feet  and  painfully  staggered  up 
the  beach  and  found  a  path  leading  along  the  shore 
toward  the  great  mass  of  rocks  that  towered  up  from 
the  sea.  Thinking  that  it  would  lead  to  some 
friendly  aid,  I  climbed  its  steady  ascent. 


CHAPTER    X 
THE  HERMITAGE 

TURNING  a  projecting  rock,  I  caught  sight  of  an 
old  man  sitting  in  the  entrance  of  a  cave.  He  wore 
no  hat  and  leaned  against  a  rock  for  support,  his 
head  was  on  his  breast  and  he  appeared  to  be  gazing 
out  at  sea  from  under  overhanging  brows.  I  called 
to  him,  but  receiving  no  response  concluded  that  he 
was  deaf.  Glancing  to  the  left,  some  fifty  feet  from 
where  I  stood,  I  saw  an  image  of  Buddha,  and  at 
its  feet  a  bowl  of  rice.  At  sight  of  the  food,  I  for 
got  that  it  was  not  mine ;  that  it  was  devoted  to  the 
idols ;  and  the  next  moment  I  was  on  my  knees  be 
fore  the  rice,  also  forgetful  of  the  silent  watcher  on 
the  rock.  A  handful  of  dried  persimmons  lay  on 
a  paper  and  I  ravenously  crammed  them  into  my 
mouth.  Then  a  sense  of  shame  seized  me  and  I 
turned  around  expecting  to  see  the  old  man  at  my 
elbow  to  upbraid  me  for  my  act  of  desecration,  but 
still  he  sat  there,  gazing  out  at  sea.  Something  in 
his  attitude  caused  me  to  look  at  him  more  closely. 
He  wore  the  coarse  garments  of  a  hermit,  and  I 
judged  that  he  lived  in  the  cave  and  was  much 
revered.  His  religious  character  was  witnessed  to 
by  the  idols,  fetishes  that  adorned  the  trees  near  at 

126 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  127 

hand,  and  by  the  sacrificial  food  that  had  been  con 
tributed  by  persons  living  on  the  island.  Long  white 
hair,  having  escaped  from  his  topknot,  rested  on  his 
shoulders.  It  surrounded  a  white,  pinched  face, 
which,  at  a  distance,  gave  him  a  saintly  look.  On 
approaching,  the  whole  body  presented  an  appear 
ance  of  extreme  weakness.  Indeed,  he  slouched  for 
ward  as  if  on  the  point  of  falling.  He  sat  on  the 
edge  of  a  circular  precipitous  rock.  I  subsequently 
discovered  that  it  ended  in  a  caldron-shaped  forma 
tion  through  which  the  tide,  in  its  ebb  and  flow, 
laughed  and  sobbed  in  ghost-like  moans.  Remember 
ing  the  practice  of  hermits  of  assuming  an  indiffer 
ence  to  their  surroundings,  giving  the  impres 
sion  of  being  engrossed  with  meditation  and  never 
allowing  themselves  to  be  surprised,  I  put  out  my 
hand  and  gently  pulled  on  his  sleeve  to  attract  his 
attention  from  the  sea,  then  I  sprang  back  in  terror. 
The  man  was  dead !  Turning,  I  ran  down  the  path, 
then  looked  back.  The  body  had  tipped  forward  and 
was  on  the  point  of  falling.  Back  I  ran  to  prevent 
its  plunging  into  the  sea,  and  a  thousand  thoughts 
surged  through  my  mind.  "Would  I  not  be  made 
responsible  for  the  death  of  that  man?"  For  a 
moment  the  repulsion  common  to  our  race,  when  in 
the  presence  of  the  dead,  seized  me  and  I  hesitated. 
My  hand  shook  with  agitation,  and  as  I  reached  for 
ward  to  pull  the  body  from  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  I 
gave  it  a  jar  in  the  wrong  direction  and  it  lurched 


128  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

forward.  I  grabbed  at  the  coat,  but  it  tore  in  my 
grasp  and  the  body  pitched  forward  into  the  caldron, 
thirty  feet  below.  A  dull  splash  came  to  my  ears  and 
I  leaned  over  the  rock,  but  could  see  nothing  save  the 
dark  sides  of  the  caldron,  and  the  agitated  water 
within.  Long  I  gazed  and  there  came  back  to  me 
the  sighing,  sobbing  voice  of  the  tide  as  it  strained 
and  tugged  at  the  rocks  in  the  subterranean  caverns 
below.  Slowly  I  climbed  back,  dizzy  and  sick  at 
heart.  In  safety  from  the  precipice,  I  leaned  up 
against  the  rock  and  tried  to  think  what  I  should  do. 
Great  physical  weariness  overcame  me  and  I  slept. 
When  I  awoke  the  sun  was  nearly  to  the  western 
horizon  and  a  flood  of  light  gilded  all  the  island's 
rocky  peaks.  A  murmuring  caused  me  to  look  down. 
There  stood  an  old  woman,  head  uncovered,  mum 
bling  and  prostrating  herself  to  the  ground  in  pro 
found  reverence,  and  at  her  side  stood  the  girl  who 
had  rescued  me  from  the  sea,  gazing  up  at  me  in 
amazed  wonder.  In  her  hand  she  carried  a  bowl  of 
rice  like  the  one  I  had  stolen  from  the  gods.  The 
woman  was  saying: 

"O,  magician  of  the  cave  of  eternal  youth,  give 
me  youth !  Give  me  youth !" 

At  first  I  was  on  the  point  of  rushing  to  her  and 
telling  my  tale  of  shipwreck  and  asking  aid,  then 
her  words  kept  me  silent.  Soon  she  ceased  bowing 
and  stood  with  her  hands  extended,  palms  together. 
Side  by  side  they  stood,  wrinkled,  puckered  age,  and 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  129 

youth,  beautiful  youth.  The  one,  waiting  in  feverish 
expectancy,  with  piteous  disappointment  already  pal 
ing  her  lips.  The  other,  aglow  with  a  look  of 
wonder. 

"What  service  would  you  ask,  woman  ?"  I  said. 

"Ah !  noble  sir,"  she  replied,  "the  change  to  youth 
has  changed  your  voice." 

The  feeling  that  I  was  being  addressed  by  the  in 
sane  kept  me  silent. 

"O  holy  seer,  give  me  youth,"  she  cried.  "Make 
this  crooked  back  straight,  and  these  poor  old,  with 
ered,  stiffened  arms  supple  and  strong.  Bid  these 
gray  hairs  begone  and  these  wrinkles  flee  away. 
Give  me  back  the  beauty  of  youth." 

"Crazy,"   I  involuntarily  replied. 

"No,  no,  but  you  promised  it  these  many  months. 
For  two  days  we  have  brought  food  to  the  gods 
which  they  have  refused,  and  you  sat  there  in  sullen 
silence,  mute  to  all  our  appeals.  To-day  you  rose 
out  of  the  sea,  as  you  promised,  clothed  with  youth, 
and  see !  the  gods  have  consumed  our  offerings,"  said 
she,  pointing  to  the  bowl  I  had  emptied  in  my  craze 
of  hunger.  Then,  turning  as  if  weary  in  a  petition 
often  repeated,  she  bade  the  girl  place  the  rice  at 
the  feet  of  the  image. 

Over  the  entrance  to  the  cave  I  saw  the  inscription, 
"Hermitage  of  Eternal  Youth, "and  an  explanation 
began  to  dawn  upon  me.  The  old  man  whom  I  had 
just  pushed  into  the  sea  had  been  a  hermit  seeking 


130  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

for  himself  and  promising  to  others,  eternal  youth. 
"If  I  should  declare  whom  I  really  were,  there  would 
be  a  demand  for  the  old  man/'I  thought.  "His  body 
might  be  sought  for  in  the  caldron  and  my  life  pay 
the  price.  The  island  being  visited  by  the  outside 
world  so  seldom,  there  must  be  no  limit  to  the  super 
stition  and  credulity  of  these  people,"  I  reflected. 

The  old  woman  approached  me  and  gazed  into  my 
face  with  rapt  attention,  evidently  following  its  out 
line  in  every  detail. 

"Beautiful !"  she  exclaimed.  "I  knew  you  would 
do  it.  See,  Nomie,"  she  added,  turning  to  the  girl, 
"he  is  young  and  beautiful." 

She  slid  down  on  her  knees  and  rocked  herself, 
mumbling  verses  from  the  classics.  Remembering 
a  conversation  with  one  of  these  pretentious  seers 
and  his  manner  of  addressing  people,  I  said, 
"Woman,  have  you  learned  the  lesson  of  truth?" 

"Ah !"  she  replied,  "I  am  stupid  and  old,  and  wis 
dom  and  self-repression  come  not  easily  to  such  as 
I.  Let's  tell  the  others,"  she  said,  abruptly  turning 
to  her  companion  and  hastily  rising.  They  departed 
down  the  mountain  path.  The  grace  of  the  girl, 
tripping  along,  with  now  and  then  a  backward 
glance,  reminded  me  of  a  fawn  in  the  mountains  of 
my  native  home. 

An  hour  later,  hearing  voices  coming  up  the  path, 
I  took  my  seat  on  the  cliff  where  I  had  noted  that 
the  rock  had  been  worn  smooth  by  the  old  man  dur- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  131 

ing  the  weary  years  of  his  hermitage.  Soon  a  score 
of  men,  women  and  children  had  gathered  at  the 
mouth  of  the  cave  and  watched  me  with  reverential 
awe  till  the  sun  sank  and  the  moon  came  out;  then 
in  suppressed  whispers  they  trooped  away. 

The  cave  was  formed  by  a  ledge  of  rocks  project 
ing  from  the  side  of  the  mountain.  The  soft  rock 
underneath  the  ledge  had  been  worn  away  by  water 
until  an  opening  ten  feet  high  had  been  formed.  An 
aperture  at  the  back,  where  once  a  stream  had 
entered  during  periods  of  heavy  rain,  now  served 
as  a  chimney  hole.  On  the  seaward  side  the  cave,  at 
some  period,  had  been  entirely  open  like  the  front  of 
a  shed.  Someone,  probably  the  former  occupant,  had 
walled  it  up  with  stone  and  plastered  it  on  the  inside 
with  clay.  In  the  opposite  side  a  niche,  just  large 
enough  for  a  man  to  lie  down  in,  formed  a  sleeping 
place.  Besides  this  there  was  but  one  room,  ten  by 
forty  feet.  In  the  gathering  darkness  it  seemed 
huge,  lofty,  terrible.  A  brass  bowl,  chopsticks,  a 
brass  spoon,  a  wood  pillow  and  a  pile  of  worn  books 
comprised  the  furniture  of  the  cave. 

I  found  myself  in  a  position  that  was  embarrassing 
and  distasteful  in  the  extreme,  and  I  was  a  prisoner. 
To  leave  would  be  to  fix  the  suspicion  of  murder 
upon  me.  I  looked  through  the  cave,  shuddering  at 
the  darkness,  then  crept  back  into  the  moonlit  en 
trance.  The  sobbing  of  the  waves  in  the  cavern 
below  had  become  doubly  loud  in  the  stillness  of  the 


132  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

night,  and  as  the  tide  rose  the  wailings  and  moan- 
ings  increased.  I  crawled  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff 
and  looked  over,  and  the  cries  seemed  multiplied,  as 
if  a  thousand  lost  souls  were  in  conflict.  I  wriggled 
back  in  fear  and  imagined  that  I  heard  the  voice  of 
old  Cho,  the  seer,  calling  and  echoing  through  the 
cavern.  Then  I  crept  down  the  steep  path  and  took 
refuge  under  a  tree  in  the  open,  and  lying  down, 
slept  from  exhaustion.  The  trees  sheltered  me  for 
many  a  night  thereafter. 

Each  day  food  was  brought  and  placed  before  the 
idols  by  the  girl  whom  I  had  first  met.  The  gods 
were  hearty  eaters,  for  daily  the  bowl  was  emptied, 
and  my  little  visitor  seemed  satisfied.  I  learned  the 
hours  of  her  arrival  and  planned  to  be  seated  in  the 
niche  where  first  I  had  seen  the  body  of  old  Cho.  I 
always  looked  at  her  with  the  gravity  befitting  the 
character  of  a  seer,  who  had  denied  himself  all 
thoughts  of  worldly  things.  In  return  she  looked 
up  in  my  face  with  the  innocence  of  a  trusting  babe. 
The  contrast  of  her  person,  with  the  deformed  crea 
ture  that  had  been  chosen  for  my  bride,  made  her 
appear  exceedingly  fair.  The  face  was  long,  rather 
than  round,  eyes  large,  but  of  what  color  I  could  not 
tell.  They  did  not  flinch  before  one's  glance  and 
seemed  always  to  carry  the  impression  of  wonder 
ing  interest.  The  lips  were  firm  and  gave  her  an 
expression  of  steady  trustworthiness  and  the  power 
to  endure.  When  she  smiled,  all  the  sunshine  of  a 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  133 

sweet  nature  came  into  her  face,  robbing,  I  thought, 
the  flowers  by  the  wayside  of  their  brightness. 

I  spoke  to  her  one  day.  "Nomie,"  I  said,  "I  heard 
the  old  lady  call  you  by  that  name  when  I  first  saw 
you  together.  Is  she  your  mother  ?"  She  looked  up, 
startled  that  I  should  speak  to  her,  then  answered : 

"No,  sir/' 

"Relation  by  your  father  or  mother?"  I  asked. 

"Neither,  sir." 

"Then  who  are  you?"  I  persisted. 

"Does  the  holy  seer  of  the  Hermitage  of  Youth 
wish  to  know  ?"  she  asked.  I  nodded  and  she  turned 
away  from  me  for  an  instant,  then  glanced  back  in 
my  face  with  the  dumb  look  in  her  eyes  of  a  fawn  in 
captivity.  Her  feet  were  bare  and  she  raised  the 
short  skirt  of  her  dress,  exposing  the  right  calf. 

"A  slave !"  I  exclaimed.  She  bore  marks  of  the 
whip,  a  sign  that  I  knew  so  well.  My  vehemence 
startled  her,  and  she  stood  poised  on  the  point  of 
taking  flight. 

"Do  not  fear  me,"  I  said  gently.  "The  hermit  is 
your  friend.  I  did  not  know  that  you  were  a  slave." 
She  turned  down  the  path  with  a  musical,  delightful 
laugh,  and  I  raised  rny  hand  to  detain  her,  but  could 
think  of  no  reason  for  doing  so.  That  moment  I 
learned  why  my  captivity  had  become  pleasant,  and 
why  for  the  past  weeks  I  had  relaxed  my  effort  to 
find  some  means  of  escape ;  why  I  found  the  terrors 
of  the  night  grow  less,  and  why  I  had  taken  my 


134  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

abode  nights  within  the  cave  and  slept  peacefully  in 
the  niche  on  the  mat  of  old  Clio,  the  seer. 

All  night  long  the  laughter  echoed  in  my  ears  and 
I  determined  to  know  more  of  her ;  but  the  next  day, 
for  the  first  time  since  I  had  become  a  hermit,  the  old 
woman  brought  the  offerings  unaccompanied  by  her 
young  companion,  and  for  many  days  thereafter  I 
saw  nothing  of  her.  I  wondered  at  the  change  and 
when  the  woman  came  with  her  petitions  and  low 
salaams,  I  looked  steadily  out  to  sea.  One  day  I  left 
the  food  untouched,  greatly  to  that  lady's  agitation, 
and  to  her  persistent  appeals  to  his  Holiness  I  made 
no  reply,  but  looked  seaward. 

"Ah,  me !  the  gods  are  angry,"  said  she,  and  the 
next  day  the  girl  accompanied  her  and  the  gods 
were  pleased  to  consume  the  food,  and  what  they 
failed  to  eat  found  its  way  down  the  murmuring  cal 
dron  to  keep  company  with  the  body  of  old  Clio. 

I  grew  weary  of  the  pilgrimages  that  were  made 
to  my  hermitage.  News  of  the  miracle  had  spread 
to  the  mainland  and  had  brought  a  multitude;  but 
to  all  questions  I  closed  my  lips  and  pointed  to  the 
image  of  Buddha.  With  the  books  of  old  Clio  at 
my  side,  I  was  supposed  to  be  lost  in  a  spirit  of 
abstraction.  They  came,  all  conditions  of  humanity, 
the  old  and  withered,  the  deformed,  the  maimed,  the 
credulous  and  superstitious,  a  multitude  with  hungry 
desire  that  no  power  on  earth  could  satisfy.  Won 
derful  cures  were  reported,  and  some,  in  ecstatic 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  135 

frenzy,  declared  that  they  felt  the  fires  of  youth 
returning. 

Often  during  these  months  I  felt  poignant  pain 
over  the  uncertainty  of  the  fate  of  Tong-siki  and  the 
rest  of  our  party,  and  the  sorrow  that  my  supposed 
death  was  causing  my  father's  household.  With  the 
many  pilgrims  coming  and  going,  I  could  have  made 
my  escape  with  safety ;  but  there  was  now  a  reason 
for  staying  more  imperative  to  me  than  all  other 
considerations — even  than  the  possession  of  life  it 
self.  I  had  not  yet  learned  that  duty  should  hold 
sway  over  all  other  motives.  That  was  a  lesson  I 
learned  in  after  years.  Now  I  wanted  to  be  near 
Nomie.  That  I  should  seek  her  for  my  wife  seemed 
when  I  thought  the  matter  over,  the  height  of  in 
sanity.  What  explanation  could  the  Sung-ji's  son 
make  for  such  an  act?  And  supposing  that  it  was 
possible  to  purchase  her,  and  the  owner  would  be 
willing  to  part  with  her,  the  transaction  would  re 
quire  a  huge  sum  of  money.  I  had  not  the  money, 
nor  could  I  hope  that  my  father  would  furnish  it 
when  the  marriage  he  had  planned  was  to  make  him 
richer,  and  not  poorer.  The  only  possible  means  left 
to  me,  I  thought,  was  to  marry  the  slave,  and  accord 
ing  to  the  laws  of  our  country  become  a  slave.  Then 
I  laughed  at  the  thought.  Sooner  than  allow  the 
holy  hermit  to  become  a  slave  would  the  people  mob 
both  me  and  the  slave  owner. 

Two  months  passed  before  the  girl  again  attended 


136  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

to  the  wants  of  the  stone  images  alone.  That  day 
she  came  and  stood  near  me  with  drooping  eyes.  I 
waited  for  her  to  speak. 

"Holy  seer,"  she  faltered,  "will  you  condescend  to 
tell  the  fortunes  of  one  of  such  humble  clay  as  I  ?" 

"Nay,  child,"  said  I,  "ask  me  not  to  tell  you  your 
fortune.  You  know  that  since  I  have  recovered  my 
youth  I  engage  not  in  such  mysteries  that  I  anger  not 
the  gods,  who  jealously  reserve  these  rights  to  them 
selves.  I  prize  my  youth  and  what  they  have  done 
for  me,  nor  will  I  offend  them,  not  even  were  it  to 
serve  so  fair  a  one  as  she  who  now  appeals  to  me; 
but  rather,  may  you  not  tell  me  the  history  of  your 
life?  How  became  you  a  slave?  Who  were  your 
parents?" 

"Know  you  not  of  all  that,  O  holy  seer?"  she 
asked,  with  her  wondering  eyes  full  upon  me.  "It 
was  that  which  led  me  to  address  you." 

"Indeed?"  said  I,  "tell  me  all  you  know  of  your 
self.  Sit  there  on  the  grassy  knoll  and  tell  me  all." 
She  knelt  at  my  feet  and  told  me  in  a  soft  musical 
voice  the  short  story  that  she  knew  of  her  life. 

"When  I  can  remember  first,  I  lived  in  a  great 
home,  surrounded  with  servants  and  all  that  was 
necessary  to  make  one  happy.  They  did  not  call  me 
Nomie,1  then.  They  called  me  Ewa.2 

"Perhaps  I  was  five  years  old  when  a  servant  of 

1"Rascal,"  a  name  of  contempt 
'Pear  Blossom 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  137 

the  magistrate  appeared  and  carried  my  father  off 
to  prison.  When  he  returned  he  was  brought  on  a 
stretcher,  unable  to  walk,  his  legs  having  been  beaten 
to  a  pulp.  Lingering  on  a  few  days,  he  died.  In  the 
meantime,  men  appeared  in  official  livery,  and, 
presenting  papers  that  my  father  had  signed,  took 
possession  of  our  home  and  we  were  transferred  to 
a  hut  where,  at  one  time,  one  of  our  servants  had 
lived.  Strangers  occupied  the  old  homestead  and 
my  mother  went  out  to  beg.  When  father  died,  the 
neighbors  buried  him  that  night.  As  I  remember 
now,  my  mother  was  still  young  and  attractive.  The 
dead  had  hardly  been  carried  from  our  door  before 
a  company  of  men  appeared  outside  demanding  en 
trance,  Their  purpose  was,  as  afterwards  learned, 
to  carry  off  my  mother  and  compel  her  to  become  the 
concubine  of  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  that  section, 
who,  I  now  believe,  had  something  to  do  with  the 
ruin  of  my  father.  The  yard  around  our  house  was 
divided  by  a  mat  fence,  shutting  off  the  back  portion 
from  the  front;  and  when  they  tugged  at  the  door 
to  gain  entrance,  my  mother  picked  me  up,  and  bid 
ding  me  keep  silent,  tied  me  to  her  back,  crept  out  of 
the  back  door,  over  the  fence,  and  away  into  the 
dark.  On  we  went  all  night.  Now  and  then  she 
would  put  me  down  and  sob.  The  next  day  we  hid 
in  a  grove  surrounding  a  number  of  graves,  and  at 
night  on  again.  It  was  in  the  time  of  green  corn  and 
we  gnawed  the  uncooked  kernels  from  the  cob,  and 


138  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

drank  from  the  brooks.  She  told  me  that  we  were 
going  to  find  friends  that  lived  a  long  distance 
toward  the  setting  sun.  On  the  fourth  day,  hunger 
compelled  her  to  beg  in  the  day  time.  Being  un 
molested,  she  grew  bold  and  we  traveled  all  day  and 
fared  better.  Finally,  footsore  and  worn,  she  asked 
the  privilege  of  stopping  for  a  day  in  a  certain  vil 
lage.  The  request  was  granted  and  while  there 
many  questions  were  asked.  The  innkeeper  seemed 
kind  and  told  her  that  we  might  stay  as  long  as  we 
cared  to  do  so.  This  frightened  her,  and  on  the 
next  night  we  stole  away  through  the  sleeping  vil 
lage  and  traveled  until  about  noon  the  following 
day,  when  we  were  overtaken  by  a  score  of  men. 
One  of  the  party,  wearing  the  livery  of  an  official's 
servant,  ordered  our  return.  My  mother  on  her 
knees  begged  for  her  life  and  honor. 

"'Kill  me/  she  said  at  last.  'Death  would  be 
sweeter  than  such  a  life  of  captivity/  Then  she 
poured  out  a  torrent  of  piteous  pleadings,  telling 
her  whole  story.  Some  said,  'Let  her  go;'  others, 
looking  at  her  pretty  face,  urged  otherwise,  and  in  an 
not  unkind  voice  ordered  us  back  to  a  certain  vil 
lage.  We  were  conducted  to  a  grove  in  the  out 
skirts  of  the  village,  where  a  large  company  of  men 
and  boys  had  gathered.  Much  wine  circulated 
amongst  the  crowd.  The  liveried  man  seemed  to 
claim  the  ownership  of  my  mother  and  myself,  and 
named  a  price  for  which  he  would  sell  her  and  me 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  139 

We  sat  until  the  sun  went  down,  when  a  bargain 
was  completed ;  then  a  dispute  arose  over  the  trans 
action.  High  words  followed,  then  blows.  The 
combatants  were  separated.  My  mother  was  led  in 
one  direction  and  I  another.  When  she  saw  that 
we  were  to  be  separated  she  became  a  fury  and 
flung  herself  at  the  liveried  man,  crushed  his  hat, 
tore  at  his  hair  and  scratched  his  eyes.  Most  of 
those  present  seemed  to  enjoy  the  scene  and 
laughed  loudly,  and  when  he  turned  on  her,  the 
purchaser  forced  him  aside,  and  he  went  off  cursing. 
She  finally  slid  down  on  the  ground,  looked  after 
me  as  they  led  me  away,  calling  'Ewa !'  and  I  called 
in  return.  She  strained  her  eyes  after  me,  and  I  saw 
her,  as  I  have  seen  her  many  times  since,  sitting  on 
the  grass  half-surrounded  by  a  score  of  rough  men, 
with  disheveled  hair,  rocking  herself  in  anguish ;  and 
often  at  night  in  the  screaming  wind  and  rushing 
storm  I  have  heard  her  calling,  'Ewa!  O,  my 
Ewa!'" 

Here  the  girl  at  my  feet  paused  with  her  eyes 
on  the  ground. 

"Well,  what  else?"  I  asked. 

"Nothing,"  she  answered,  "only  I  was  sold  twice 
and  now  am  the  slave  of  a  very  wealthy  man  who 
came  to  this  island  some  weeks  ago,  because  of  the 
reputed  healing  powers  of  the  seer  who  lives  in  this 
hermitage.  He  left  the  day  before  you  came  up  out 
of  the  sea,  and,  with  some  members  of  his  family,  we 


140  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

are  either  to  wait  until  his  return,  or  follow  him  to 
the  city  of  Pyeng-Yang.  You  remember  him,  the 
man  with  the  large,  round  face,  wearing  silks,  the 
one  who  gave  you  the  large  sum  of  money?  It  is 
his  command  that  the  idols  be  daily  given  food." 

"Money?  I  received  none/'  I  said,  surprised  off 
my  guard. 

She  looked  up  at  me  with  a  searching  glance  and 
I  felt  confused,  and  looked  away  at  sea  in  order  to 
recover  my  composure. 

"O,  revered  seer,"  said  she,  "can  you  tell  me, 
shall  I  meet  my  mother  and  her  friends?  May  I 
become  free?" 

"Freedom,"  I  said,  glancing  at  the  cave  at  my 
back,  "is  what  freedom  does.  It  is  a  relative  term. 
You  may  be  wishing  for  that  which  you  do  not 
understand,  and  if  possessed  would  work  you  ill. 
There  are  people  who  feel  themselves  free,  but  are 
in  reality  as  much  under  bondage  as  if  they  vrere  in 
a  dungeon,  bound  hand  and  foot.  Indeed,  there  are 
few  people  in  this  realm  of  ours  who  are  not  bound 
down  under  the  miserable  bondage  of  the  upper 
classes.  Even  in  this  beautiful  island,  where  nature 
seems  to  be  almost  prodigal  in  her  gifts  and  the  gods 
overkind,  there  are  some  who  have  but  to  put  out 
their  hands  and  partake  of  all  they  want,  yet  suffer 
in  galling  bondage."  I  spoke  with  some  bitterness, 
and  she  looked  up  quickly  and  her  eyes  followed  my 
glance. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  141 

"If  you  see  in  your  bondage  a  delight  you  would 
call  yourself  free,"  I  hastily  added. 

"Can,"  said  she,  "the  bird  in  a  cage  imagine  itself 
winging  its  way  through  the  sunlit  heavens,  bathing 
in  the  sparkling  streams,  or  sipping  honey  from  the 
flowers  by  the  wayside?  Do  you  think,  noble  seer, 
that  it  could  be?  Is  there  nothing,  sir,  that  you,  by 
appealing  to  the  gods  to  use  their  mystic  powers, 
could  promise  me?  Where  you  have  feasted  so 
well,  is  there  not  a  crumb  for  me?  Think,"  she 
added  tremblingly;  "nothing  for  poor  Nomie,  the 
slave?" 

"Nothing  for  you,  dear  maiden?"  I  replied,  gaz 
ing  steadily  into  her  appealing  eyes.  "The  spirits 
give  one  what  one's  own  hands  can  wrench  from 
Nature's  niggard  grasp.  They  present  opportuni 
ties  for  man  to  seize,  and  nothing  more.  Their  power 
is  limited  to  the  power  of  man's  arm  and  man's 
heart.  Yea,  they  give  not  what  man  wills  not  to 
give.  If  to-day  I  have  prayers  for  you,  they  will  be 
addressed  to  my  own  heart.  Indeed,  I  have  prayed, 
not  to  awaken  pity,  but  to  smother  that  which  is  far 
more  than  pity.  My  prayers  to  the  spirits  have 
mingled  with  the  whisperings  and  sighings  of  the 
sea.  Each  breeze  has  borne  them  over  land  and  sea, 
and  upward  to  trouble  heaven's  gate,  but  they  have 
returned  fruitless.  Call  it  not  atheism,  fair  one. 
To-day,  in  answering  your  petition,  the  seer  takes 
counsel  only  with  his  own  heart.  Have  I  nothing 


142  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

for  you  ?"  I  said,  still  gazing  into  her  eyes.  "I  have 
worlds  for  you,  Ewa."  As  I  spoke  her  eyes  opened 
wide  in  puzzled  wonder,  then  as  my  meaning  gradu 
ally  dawned  upon  her,  her  lips  parted,  and  the  color 
crept  into  her  face.  Suddenly,  springing  to  her 
feet,  she  fled  down  the  mountain  path,  never  again 
to  appear  at  the  Hermitage  of  Eternal  Youth. 

Winter  came,  and  my  patrons,  who  had  found 
that  it  was  profitable  to  maintain  interest  in  the 
Hermitage,  as  it  brought  gain  to  the  island  from  the 
outside  world,  piled  heaps  of  grass  in  front  of  my 
cave.  I  repaired  the  clay  floor  of  the  niche  in  the 
wall  and  built  my  fire.  I  hung  a  mat  over  the  en 
trance  and  found  it  comfortable  in  winter.  Then  I 
made  excursions  over  the  island  at  night  and  found 
several  hamlets.  Boats  I  saw  in  which  I  might  take 
passage,  but  nothing  of  Ewa.  New  visitors  at 
tended  to  the  wants  of  the  gods ;  I  shrank  from  mak 
ing  inquiries  among  them,  for  fear  of  involving  her 
in  some  kind  of  trouble. 

Finally  the  old  woman  who  had  ministered  so 
faithfully  at  the  feet  of  Buddha  appeared  with  an 
unusually  generous  offering.  I  noticed  that  she  lin 
gered  long  with  many  a  prostration  before  the 
shrine,  and  I  motioned  her  to  approach  me,  which 
she  did  with  a  light  on  her  face — a  privilege  which 
she  had  not  dared  to  avail  herself  of,  since  my  cold 
treatment  of  her  some  months  previous.  She  bowed 
low  to  the  ground  and  waited  for  me  to  speak. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  143 

"It  has  been  a  long  time  since  I  have  seen  you," 
I  said,  kindly. 

"Does  the  holy  hermit  think  of  such  a  poor  worm 
of  the  dust  as  I  ?"  she  asked.  "Does  he  know  who 
goes  and  who  conies  ?" 

"Many  have  come  and  gone,"  I  replied,  "like  the 
stars  that  travel  in  the  heavens,  and  they  have  gath 
ered  about  my  feet  like  the  frost-bitten  leaves  that 
scurry  before  the  autumn  wind.  When  the  signs  of 
their  destiny  are  written  in  the  sky,  the  earth,  the 
sea,  and  whispered  by  spirits  that  murmur  with  the 
breeze  among  the  trees  and  flowers,  would  I  not 
count  them  all?  The  sick  and  distressed  of  earth, 
tottering  age  has  come ;  laughing,  thoughtless  youth, 
possessed  of  throbbing,  bounding  life  with  eager 
eyes,  yearning  to  gaze  into  the  future,  have  often 
bowed  here  also.  Do  you  think,  O  woman,  that  he 
who  has  been  favored  by  the  gods  should  not  notice 
all  these?" 

"The  holy  hermit  has  many  to  counsel  him,"  she 
replied. 

"Nay,  woman,  but  the  trembling  heart,  may  the 
gods  not  reveal  it?" 

"The  hermit  knows  all  things." 

"Not  all  things,  only  those  which  the  gods  reveal, 
and  they  reveal  only  those  things  for  which  the  her 
mit  may  be  of  service.  Some  have  bowed  here  at 
this  shrine,  of  whom  I  would  make  inquiry,  knew  I 
that  you  carried  the  desired  information — both 


144  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

of  the  young  and  of  the  old.  He  who  threw  away 
his  crutch  when  he  touched  the  shrine  and  called 
himself  whole.  The  young  also,  the  maiden  who  at 
one  time  attended  to  the  needs  of  the  gods,  what 
of  her?" 

'The  old  man,  I  remember  him,"  she  answered. 
"He  lives  on  the  mainland,  so  that  I  have  not  seen 
him  since  the  day  that  he  was  healed.  As  for  the 
girl,  she  is  in  the  household  of  which  I  am  member. 
I  am  a  servant,  while  she  is  a  slave.  She  is  thought 
more  of  by  our  master  than  are  the  free  serv 
ants,  and  it  is  believed,  that  in  time,  he  will  make 
her  his  concubine ;  disgraceful  though  such  a  union 
would  prove  to  be  to  him,  yet  her  brilliancy  and 
beauty  outweigh  such  considerations." 

"Then  she  is  treated  well?"  I  said  with  assumed 
indifference. 

"Sometimes,  sir,  she  rebels  like  most  people  who 
are  too  brilliant.  I  was  always  glad  that  I  am  stupid 
and  only  know  how  to  obey.  Our  master,  sir,  tries 
sometimes  to  bring  her  to  obedience  with  the  lash. 
She  doesn't  scratch  and  fight  as  most  of  us  do ;  but 
looks  into  his  face  with  round,  open  eyes  and  pale 
lips  with  the  expression  of  a  frightened  fawn,  and,  I 
think,  she  never  consented  to  do  that  which  she  had 
refused  to  do." 

"She  refuses  to  work,  does  she?"  I  said;  "tell  me 
more  of  her. 

"She    works    readily    enough.     Her    beauty    is 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  145 

known  far  and  wide,  and  large  sums  of  money  have 
been  offered  for  her.  At  one  time  she  was  sold  and 
the  papers  drawn  up.  When  she  knew  of  it  she 
went  into  her  master's  presence.  No  one  knows  just 
what  took  place,  but  he  ordered  her  under  the  lash. 
Not  a  word  escaped  her  lips,  though  the  marks  went 
deep.  When  the  beating  was  over  she  walked  to  her 
master,  stood  and  looked  into  his  eyes  without  a 
trace  of  a  tear.  It  was  the  look  of  a  dumb  animal 
that  would  die,  but  not  yield.  Her  master  suddenly 
grew  furious  at  the  whole  transaction.  He  tore  the 
deed  in  pieces  and  reviled  the  would-be  purchaser, 
ordered  the  money  returned,  and  when  the  man 
complained,  added  ten  per  cent  to  the  purchase  price. 
The  man  took  the  money  and  started  out,  but  turned 
back  to  revile  in  his  turn.  Our  master  caught  him 
by  his  hair  and  they  were  only  separated  by  the  com 
bined  efforts  of  neighbors  and  servants.  Some  time 
ago  a  young  man  offered  to  become  a  slave  if  he 
could  have  the  privilege  of  marrying  her.  The  ar 
rangements  were  all  made,  but  when  she  was  in 
formed  of  it,  she  went  to  our  master  and  there  was 
a  scene  which  disturbed  the  whole  community,  and 
the  young  man  was  driven  off.  Mr.  Yi  is  a  man  of 
fierce  temper  and  iron  will,  and  we  all  live  in 
fear  of  him,  excepting  Nomie.  She  fears  him  not, 
nor  does  she  seem  to  fear  anything,  not  even  the 
ghosts  that  glide  about  the  shrines  and  graves  at 
night." 


10 


146  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"He  will  make  her  his  concubine?"  I  asked.  She 
glanced  up  a  moment,  then  said : 

"With  you,  sir,  and  the  gods  are  hid  the  events  of 
the  future." 

"With  me  and  the  gods,"  I  reflected.  "Such  an 
event  would  be  of  interest,"  I  said,  and  added, 
"What  news  have  you  from  the  mainland?" 

"Alas,  sir,  rumors  are  disquieting.  When  the 
spring  comes,  there  will  be  a  general  uprising  of 
the  people  in  open  rebellion.  Have  you  not  taught 
that  the  end  of  the  present  dynasty  was  at  hand  ?  Is 
there  not  a  prophecy  to  that  effect?"  I  nodded. 
"Great  companies  of  people  are  gathering  and  drill 
ing  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  especially  in  the 
south.  They  purpose  to  take  the  field  as  soon  as  the 
warm  weather  of  spring  will  make  camping  in  the 
open  tolerable.  Happy  are  you,  holy  seer,  that  you 
are  hid  away  on  this  island ;  away  from  the  turmoil, 
temptations  and  strife,  to  spend  your  time  in  holy 
meditation,  where  neither  jealousy  from  love  nor 
the  pains  of  hate  enter  your  soul.  Ah,  the  blessed 
ness  of  such  a  great  calm !  Peace  to  you,  holy  her 
mit,"  said  she,  rising.  "I  am  grateful  for  the  mo 
ment  of  conversation.  Be  gracious,  I  pray  you,  to 
petition  the  gods  in  my  behalf,  as,  probably,  I  shall 
never  have  the  privilege  of  visiting  these  shrines 
again." 

"Long  have  I  served  these  spirits,"  she  added, 
pausing  and  looking  back  at  the  cave,  "earnest  have 


EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  147 

I  been  in  my  prayers  and  hard  have  I  labored  to  de 
stroy  the  works  of  the  flesh,  but  it  seems  blessings 
are  not  for  one,  stupid  like  me." 

"I  tremble  for  fear  of  the  wrath  of  the  gods  be 
cause  of  the  common  infidelity  of  these  days,"  she 
continued,  apprehensively.  "There  have  not  lacked 
those  who  questioned  the  reality  of  the  miracle  the 
gods  worked  upon  you,  sir.  Such  cavil  has  been 
quieted  by  a  demand  to  produce  the  old  man  with 
the  gray  locks.  He — you,  sir,  were  then  helpful  and 
communicative,  as  you  have  been  to  me  to-day,  but 
since  the  great  change,  you  have  been  taciturn  and 
repellant.  Forgive  me,  sir,  for  repeating  idle  gos 
sip.  They  said  a  man  blessed  with  eternal  youth 
should  have  sympathy  for  those  on  whom  age  re 
peats  its  sad  decay.  The  powerful  Yi  family  and 
the  island  folks  have  been  true  to  you.  Alas,  for 
the  times!  they  will  soon  bring  punishment  to  the 
impious — the  demon  of  war  and  slaughter  will 
shortly  hold  high  carnival  throughout  our  land." 

"When  will  you  leave?"  I  asked. 

"As  soon  as  the  ice  melts  from  the  Tong  River 
we  are  to  return  to  the  city  of  Pyeng-Yang.  Peace 
be  with  you,"  she  said,  and  was  gone. 

I  grew  weary  of  the  grotesque  figure  that  I  had 
been  playing,  and  blushed  at  the  readiness  of  our 
people  to  receive  impostors.  My  only  defense  was 
that  I  had  unwittingly  assumed  the  role  of  a  saint 
on  whom  the  gods  had  worked  a  miracle,  and  had 


148  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

undeceived  no  one  for  fear  of  my  life;  then  a 
stronger  motive  came  into  my  undisciplined  life,  to 
which  I  yielded.  Had  I  known,  even  at  this  time, 
the  misery  to  which  my  course  was  leading  me  and 
others,  even  then  I  might  have  slipped  away  in  one 
of  the  many  visiting  boats,  and  returned  to  my 
father's  home  and  the  marriage  with  the  deformed 
bride  intended  for  me. 

Spring  came,  and  there  was  great  irregularity 
in  the  attendance  at  the  shrine,  and  I  had  to 
economize  closely  to  make  ends  meet.  The  previous 
summer,  visitors  had  contributed  considerable  cash, 
which  I  had  hoarded  with  great  jealousy,  anticipat 
ing  a  day  when  I  should  need  it  all.  Other  hands 
were  now  ministering  to  the  care  of  Buddha,  and  I 
inquired  if  the  Yi  family  had  left.  Being  informed 
that  such  was  the  case,  I  announced  that  I  would 
make  a  visit  to  some  other  shrine.  Many  protests 
came  and  for  a  few  days,  rice  of  the  finest  quality 
and  dried  fruits  reached  my  hermitage  in  abund 
ance.  "How  long  would  I  be  away?  Where  did  I 
intend  to  go?"  was  repeatedly  asked. 

"The  city  of  Pyeng-Yang,  where  are  the  temples 
of  Buddha,  long  neglected;  there  the  gods  were 
sending  me." 


CHAPTER  XI 
VICTIMS  OF  WAR 

"THEY  are  coming,  a  great  army  of  them!  tens 
of  thousands,  millions!" 

"How  many,  did  you  say?" 

"Millions!" 

"How  far  away,  and  when  will  they  get  here? 
What  do  they  look  like?  Have  they  cannons  and 
banners  ?" 

"Banners?  I  should  say  so.  Guns?  They  are 
like  the  trees  of  the  forest;  and  cannons? — large 
enough  for  a  donkey  to  crawl  into.  They  will  be 
here  in  three  days.  These  Chinese  soldiers  are  great 
fighters.  The  Japanese  army  will  hardly  be  a  morn 
ing  meal,  if  it  should  dare  to  approach  the  city  of 
the  Beautiful  Turf." 

The  speaker  was  a  courier  just  in  from  the  north 
and  had  stopped  in  our  wineshop  for  a  bowl  of 
vermicelli,  and  a  cup  of  wine.  The  room,  door, 
and  street  in  front  of  the  shop  were  filled  with  eager 
listeners. 

I  had  been  in  the  city  a  month  and  found  the  home 
of  the  rich  Yi.  Yet  though  I  met  him  and  his  serv 
ants,  I  could  get  no  definite  information  regarding 
Ewa.  Soon  the  money  that  I  had  saved  at  the  Her- 


150  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

mitage  was  gone,  and  I  secured  water  buckets  with 
my  last  handful  of  cash,  and  carried  water  for  a 
living.  I  met  former  acquaintances,  but  they  did 
not  recognize  me  in  my  altered  circumstances.  I 
bound  a  cloth  around  my  head,  after  the  style  of  the 
lowest  coolie,  and  carried  water  to  the  home  of  the 
rich  Yi.  Many  days  I  carried  and  deposited  my  load 
in  the  huge  earthen  jars,  and  received  the  pittance 
for  my  labor.  Each  trip  I  made  from  the  river  to 
the  house,  I  lingered  a  moment  as  if  tired,  and  finally 
saw  Ewa  crossing  the  yard,  and  put  myself  in  her 
path.  She  looked  me  in  the  face  without  a  sign  of 
recognition,  though  I  thought  she  gave  a  slight 
start.  I  gave  up  my  business  of  a  water  carrier  and 
hunted  the  city  for  work.  Many  days  I  spent  in 
the  search,  and  at  last  sat  on  the  veranda  of  a  wine 
shop,  weary  and  destitute.  The  owner,  hearing  my 
voice,  as  I  replied  to  some  one's  greetings,  called  me 
to  enter.  I  did  so,  and  he  asked  me  many  questions. 

"Can  you  write?  What  have  you  been  doing? 
Are  you  honest  ?" 

I  noticed  that  he  was  blind,  and  while  addressing 
me  gazed  at  the  light  of  the  open  door. 

"Hi,  in  there!"  he  called,  pounding  on  the  inside 
door,  "come  in  here,  will  you  ?" 

A  slatternly  looking  woman,  some  fifty  years  of 
age,  responded. 

"What  do  you  think  of  this  young  chap?"  he  con 
tinued.  "His  voice  pleases  me.  See  here,  young 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  151 

fellow,"  he  said,  addressing  me,  "I  am  blind  and 
cannot  attend  to  my  business.  I  have  tried  a  great 
many  men,  but  they  all  cheat  me  of  my  living.  I 
like  your  voice.  Stay  with  me,  and  I  will  do  the 
right  thing  by  you." 

Though  having  called  the  woman  to  ask  her  judg 
ment  in  the  case,  he  settled  the  business  without  con 
sultation.  She  acquiesced  with  a  shrewd  glance  at 
me  and  retired.  I  was  duly  installed  as  general 
manager  of  the  inn,  to  feed  the  people  with  vermi 
celli  and  wine,  and  eject  any  when  necessity  re 
quired,  and,  as  the  innkeeper  impressively  said, 
"keep  the  books." 

War  had  been  declared  between  Japan  and  China. 
Battles  on  sea  had  been  fought  in  which,  report  had 
it,  the  Chinese  had  been  worsted,  but  no  one  believed 
that  an  army  of  the  great  Central  Kingdom  could 
suffer  defeat.  Man  for  man,  the  courier  declared, 
and  all  agreed  with  him,  the  Chinese  must  be  more 
than  a  match  for  the  Japanese.  China  was  a  great 
kingdom,  while  Japan  was  a  small  country,  and  al 
ways  much  despised.  Had  not  Korea  herself,  dur 
ing  the  past  centuries,  beaten  the  Japanese'  dogs 
from  her  shores?  It  was  said  that  his  Majesty  had 
requested  aid  from  the  mighty  Middle  Kingdom, 
and  who  were  these  monkeys  from  across  the  chan 
nel  who  dared  insult  our  Emperor?  All  the  tradi 
tions  of  the  people  had  been  identified  with  the 
Chinese;  had  we  not  been  bound  to  China  for  cen- 


152  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

turies  for  protection  and  help  against  the  Island 
Kingdom?  The  Japanese  talked  loudly  of  the 
glories  of  political  freedom,  but  what  did  we  want 
of  freedom?  We  wanted  to  be  left  alone. 

Armies  were  now  in  motion,  but  the  hordes  from 
China  were  nearer  the  city  than  the  hordes  from 
Japan;  but,  alas,  in  either  case,  the  country  would 
be  eaten  up  as  from  a  storm  of  locusts.  Every  man 
in  reach  of  the  army  would  become  a  slave,  as  hew 
ers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water,  and  wives  and 
daughters  would  become  the  army's  spoil. 

All  these  things,  and  much  more,  were  talked  and 
argued  by  those  surrounding  the  courier,  as  he  sat 
on  the  inn  floor.  I  went  out  through  the  town.  The 
people  had  taken  panic  and  were  fleeing.  At  each 
gate  there  was  a  jam,  people  surging  through  with 
loads  on  their  backs,  hastening  to  get  away  from  the 
city  before  the  army  should  arrive.  Horses,  cattle,- 
donkeys,  men,  women  and  children  all  loaded  with 
what  the  people  could  hastily  gather  from  their 
homes;  jostling,  crowding,  and  shouting.  Boats 
could  not  be  obtained  in  numbers  sufficient  to  trans 
port  the  people  across  the  river,  so  they  collected,  a 
great  company  along  the  river  bank,  and  at  night 
lay  down  with  their  goods,  and  when  a  boat  would 
return  from  depositing  its  burden  on  the  other  side 
the  people  would  fight  for  a  place  therein.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  city,  the  hills  were  white  with 
a  motley  crowd.  All  day  long  and  all  night  they 


A   MERCHANT 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  153 

shuffled  sullenly  on.  The  great  silent  city  had  be 
come  a  living  stream,  like  a  volcano  pouring  forth 
its  centuries  of  pent-up  forces  out  upon  hill  and 
plain,  and  when  the  stream  of  the  outmoving  life 
became  smaller,  a  counter  stream  set  in  for  the  city. 
All  the  riffraff,  the  vicious,  the  human  vultures, 
came  to  gorge  themselves  at  the  shambles  of  ex 
pected  slaughter.  They  skulked  and  crawled  into 
holes  till  there  should  be  victims  of  spoil. 

On  making  inquiries  I  found  that  the  Yi  family 
had,  by  a  large  sum  of  money,  made  close  friends 
with  the  governor,  and  trusted  to  his  protection 
against  any  violence  to  their  home,  from  the  com 
ing  Chinese  hordes. 

Up  to  this  time,  I  had  made  diligent  inquiries  re 
garding  the  affairs  of  my  father's  household,  and 
learned  that  since  the  loss  of  his  son  in  the  river  the 
summer  previous,  he  had  remained  close  at  home. 
Of  Tong-siki  I  could  learn  nothing.  It  was  re 
ported  that  he  had  joined  the  rebels  in  the  south, 
and  had  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  Chinese 
troops,  who  had  been  sent  there  to  aid  the  govern 
ment,  just  before  the  rupture  between  China  and 
Japan.  I  did  not  believe  the  report,  as  it  was  not 
Tong-siki's  habit  to  join  the  common  herd.  That  he 
was  planning  for  a  struggle  with  the  government,  I 
knew ;  that  he  was  fearless  and  would  value  his  life 
little  if  in  sacrificing  it  he  could  accomplish  his  end, 
I  knew,  but  did  not  believe  that  he  would  offer  his 


154  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

life  in  that  way.  A  longing  seized  me  to  visit  my 
home;  but  within  a  few  days  the  slave  girl  would  be 
surrounded  by  a  horde,  eager  to  plunder  and  de 
stroy,  and  I  must  wait  to  learn  her  fate. 

At  last,  the  panic  in  the  city  became  a  frenzy.  The 
Chinese  army,  it  was  said,  would  arrive  on  that  day, 
and  scouts  were  already  within  the  walls,  their  offi 
cers  making  demands  for  accommodations  for  the 
army.  Room  was  not  wanting,  for  the  people  had 
deserted  their  homes.  Most  of  the  remaining  house 
holds,  who  had  braved  the  coming  peril  to  the  last 
moment,  fled  like  rats  from  a  burning  building; 
north,  east  and  south  they  went.  The  west  was 
filled  with  the  approaching  army.  I  went  out  on 
the  city  wall  and  saw  them,  horse  and  foot  soldiers ; 
a  great  host,  with  gorgeous  banners  inscribed  with 
strange  devices,  were  marching  toward  the  city. 
Over  the  advance  columns  waved  flags  and  banners 
nearly  hiding  the  soldiers  from  view.  In  the  main, 
the  army  was  supplied  with  much  better  arms  than 
I  had  ever  seen  before,  but  many  of  the  soldiers  car 
ried  guns  and  spears  of  a  pattern  familiar  to  Korea 
for  three  hundred  years.  They  looked  fierce  and 
we  had  no  doubt  but  that  they  would  speedily  pun 
ish  the  insolent  Japanese,  who  dared  to  offend  the 
great  Central  Kingdom. 

The  governor  and  magistrate,  with  their  retinues, 
met  the  Chinese  generals  some  distance  from  the 
city,  and  knocked  their  heads  on  the  ground  to  wel- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  155 

come  the  great  men,  for  the  protection  of  such 
worms  of  the  dust  as  the  citizens  of  Korea. 

"The  fat  of  the  land  is  at  your  disposal,  and  our 
people  are  the  slaves  of  the  representatives  of  th$ 
Emperor  who  reigns  within  the  holy  city  of  heaven. 
Let  your  honorable  soldiers  occupy  the  homes  of 
our  despicable  people.  Permit  us  to  kiss  your  hand 
for  this  fatherly  purpose  of  driving  back  the  insolent 
dogs  from  Japan,"  said  the  governor. 

They  filled  up  the  empty  houses,  cursed  the  people, 
and  demanded  wine  and  food.  They  took  the  gov 
ernor  at  his  word,  and  crowded  him  out  of  his  spa 
cious  rooms.  He  was  happy  for  the  privilege  of  a 
closet  for  himself  and  servants,  where  he  could  write 
notices  to  the  magistrates  to  bring  food  for  the  great 
Chinese  army.  The  country  was  stripped  of  its 
products  and  the  impoverished  people  wandered 
from  their  homes. 

I  attempted  to  carry  water  to  the  Yi  family,  but 
was  repeatedly  seized,  and  the  water  taken  by  the 
Chinese.  When  I  protested  I  was  rolled  in  the  dust. 
The  water  famine  became  acute,  and  finally,  by  mov 
ing  out  at  night,  I  was  able  to  deliver  my  buckets  at 
the  door  of  Ewa's  master,  but  to  my  dismay,  the 
place  was  filled  by  officers  of  the  Chinese  army.  I 
had  already  seen  enough  of  them  to  know  that 
they  would  allow  nothing  to  stand  in  the  way  of 
their  desires.  I  turned  the  water  in  a  great  earthen 
jar,  and  in  blind  rage  sought  out  the  master  of  the 


156  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

house,  and  demanded  why  he  had  given  his  slaves 
and  servants  over  to  the  Chinese.  I  was  thrown 
from  the  compound  and  had  plenty  of  time  to  con 
sider  my  rashness. 

Later  I  was  seized  and  set  to  work  on  the  nearest 
fortification,  without  pay,  and  as  soon  as  I  got  the 
chance,  I  ran  away,  but  was  again  seized  and  set  to 
work  at  another  point.  Bits  of  food  I  picked  up 
wherever  I  could  get  a  mouthful,  and  sometimes  I 
sat  before  the  huge  piles  of  rice  heaped  on  mats, 
which  were  spread  on  the  ground  for  the  soldiers. 
Nights  I  spent  beneath  the  compound  wall  of  the 
rich  Yi. 

It  was  hard,  rigorous  experience  for  which  my 
life  of  idleness  had  not  fitted  me;  but  I  was  learning 
and  my  muscles  were  hardening,  for  which,  later,  I 
was  profoundly  thankful.  I  often  look  back  on 
those  days  and  wonder  how  it  was  possible  for  me 
to  take  the  step  which  would  practically  uncaste  me, 
and  eagerly  seek  the  labor  of  a  coolie.  It  was  not 
the  result  of  logic,  or  patriotism,  or  an  altruistic  pur 
pose,  but  the  heart  had  taken  leave  of  the  head,  and 
with  a  blind  trust  to  fate  I  followed  my  fortune  as 
a  night  traveler,  a  Will-o'-the-wisp. 

Soon  news  arrived  that  the  Japanese  army  was 
moving  toward  the  city.  The  telegraph  line  had 
been  cut,  separating  us  from  all  communication 
with  the  outside  world.  Scouts  reported  that  four 
divisions  of  the  enemy's  army  were  approaching  the 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  157 

city  from  the  four  points  of  the  compass.  The  for 
tified  hills  surrounding  the  city  were  strongly  occu 
pied  and  a  semblance  of  discipline  took  the  place  of 
disorder. 

On  the  street,  one  day,  I  was  seized  and  my  top 
knot  vigorously  twisted  to  see  if  it  were  really  fast 
to  my  scalp.  Japanese  spies,  dressed  as  Koreans 
with  the  topknot,  had  been  discovered  in  the  city. 
They  were  summarily  decapitated,  and  the  Koreans 
applauded.  After  that  soldiers  detailed  for  the  pur 
pose,  swept  the  city,  tugging  at  the  topknots  of  every 
Korean  within  its  walls.  Old  men  who  had  the 
temerity  to  remain  within  the  city,  and  had  artifi 
cially  supplied  that  of  which  nature  had  robbed 
them,  were  mistaken  for  Japanese  spies,  and  shared 
their  fate  without  the  privilege  of  a  trial.  The  heads 
of  Japanese  and  Koreans  alike  adorned  the  entrance 
to  the  city  gates,  and  the  Chinese  soldiers  were  as 
tonished  to  find  groups  of  Koreans  weeping  before 
the  gruesome  spectacle. 

"Alas !"  the  people  said,  "how  terrible  is  the  kind 
ness  of  our  friends." 

All  the  city  gates  but  two  were  barricaded.  Some 
of  them  were  banked  on  the  inside  with  earth  and 
stone,  closed  effectually,  both  to  friends  within  the 
city,  and  against  the  enemy  without. 


CHAPTER  XII 
THE  CONDEMNED  MINSTREL 

ON  the  evening  preceding  the  first  day's  battle 
there  was  feasting  in  the  city.  In  her  poverty,  the 
city  was  trying  to  entertain  the  gorgeously  dressed 
army.  She  was  bowing,  protesting  her  unworthi- 
ness,  and  lauding  her  terrible  guests  and  smiling 
with  ghastly  lips  and  terror-filled  eyes. 

I  made  my  way  through  the  crowd  of  moving 
soldiers  to  the  house  of  the  rich  Yi,  and  with  the 
hurrying,  jostling  company  of  servants,  found  my 
way  past  the  cro\vd  and  into  the  compound,  opening 
upon  which  was  a  pavilion  where  the  guests  were 
gathered.  Torches,  made  from  the  fat  pine  of  torn- 
down  houses,  flared  in  profusion  everywhere.  The 
pavilion  was  one  of  those  structures  so  dear  to  the 
hearts  of  our  people;  its  roof  of  mountain-like  di 
mensions  was  supported  by  huge  columns  of  wood. 
It  was  square,  running  with  an  easy  slope  upward 
from  the  four  corners  to  a  sharp  peak  in  the  center. 
From  the  center  of  the  eaves,  on  each  side,  it  ran 
upward  to  the  corners,  giving  the  structure  a  half 
humorous,  half  jaunty  appearance.  The  pavilion 
towered  high  above  its  neighbors,  like  a  jocular 
giant,  peering  over  their  heads  to  get  a  view  beyond 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  159 

the  city  wall,  and  seemed  hugely  pleased  with  what 
it  saw,  though  too  massive  and  too  secretive  of  na 
ture  to  tell  all.  Near  the  corner  stood  a  huge  tree, 
towering  above  all  else,  and  spreading  its  arms  over 
the  pavilion,  and  out  over  a  sickly  pool,  upon  whose 
bosom  the  gorgeous  lotus,  hiding  beneath  it  fester 
ing  sores,  like  a  silken  gown  and  jewels  covering  the 
mistress  of  pestilence.  Occasionally  gusts  of  wind 
would  set  the  torch  lights  all  aslant,  and  the  tree  to 
rocking  and  swaying  its  arms,  as  if  distressed  with 
the  burden  of  its  own  secrets. 

The  company  was  seated  on  thin,  round  cushions. 
On  the  farther  side  from  the  open  yard,  where  the 
pavilion  was  enclosed,  was  the  seat  of  honor  occu 
pied  by  General  Yuan.  At  his  right  was  the  host, 
Mr.  Yi,  and  near  were  grouped  the  others  accord 
ing  to  their  rank.  I  was  pleased  to  note  that  Mr. 
Yi,  with  his  burly  form  decked  out  with  silks,  pre 
sented  an  appearance  not  inferior  to  his  noted  guests. 
I  was  surprised  to  see  that  he  was  addressing  mem 
bers  of  the  company  without  the  use  of  the  interpre 
ter.  That  menial  stood  with  a  respectful  attitude, 
somewhat  in  the  rear  of  the  company.  In  the  front 
of  the  company,  musicians  'discoursed  strange  music 
with  drums,  cymbals  and  horns.  What  was  lacking 
of  harmony  and  expression  was  made  up  in  vigor 
and  noise. 

Tiny  tables  of  food  were  brought  in  and  placed  be 
fore  the  guests,  and  the  feasting  was  on.  I  blushed 


160  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

at  the  scanty  fare,  and  was  shocked  at  the  lack  of 
politeness  on  the  part  of  the  host  in  not  apologizing. 
Then  on  second  thought  I  was  glad  for  the  spark  of 
independent  dignity  that  shone  in  the  midst  of  our 
humiliation. 

The  great  mass  of  people,  high  and  low,  had  fled 
from  the  city ;  the  honest  and  the  dishonest,  the  idle 
and  the  industrious,  had  gone ;  but  the  gaudy  play 
thing  of  the  rich  and  idle — the  professional  dancing 
girl — remained.  Grim  war  has  no  terrors  for  her, 
the  fierce  hand  of  hate  grows  soft  and  gracious 
under  her  wanton  smiles.  They  were  at  the  feast 
in  paint  and  silks,  like  gaudy  butterflies,  not  to  par 
take  of  the  feast,  but  to  nestle  near  with  shy  glances, 
giving  the  occasion  a  sense  of  voluptuousness  and 
luxury. 

When  the  tables  were  finally  removed,  the  musi 
cians  struck  up  a  soft,  lively  tune,  and  the  dancing 
girls  took  their  places  in  the  center  of  the  floor. 
Each  dancer  held  in  her  hand  a  sword  of  a  very  an 
cient  pattern,  and  began  gracefully  posturing  in  har 
mony  with  the  music.  As  the  music  gained  in  vol 
ume  and  spirit,  the  dancing  became  animated  and 
then  passionate,  till  an  ancient  tragedy  of  Korean 
history  was  portrayed  to  the  absorbed  interest  of 
the  guests.  At  the  close  a  smile  of  pleasure  swept 
through  the  company,  and  I  noted  the  look  of  satis 
faction  that  lighted  up  the  face  of  the  rich  Yi.  The 
wines  may  have  been  poor  and  the  food  execrable, 
but  the  dancing  inferior  to  none. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  161 

"Better  than  the  Chinese  dancing/'  said  the  gen 
erous-minded  guest,  General  Yuan. 

Others  bowed  their  appreciation.  Wines  and 
tobacco  circulated  in  abundance,  and  the  music  and 
dancing  were  resumed.  I  had  moved  frequently 
from  point  to  point,  only  pausing  an  instant  in  one 
place,  that  I  might  not  be  recognized  as  an  intruder. 
During  the  dance  the  absorbed  interest  of  the  com 
pany  allowed  me  to  approach  close  to  one  of  the 
pillars  of  the  pavilion.  When  it  ceased  I  hastily 
withdrew  to  the  shadows  of  the  great  gate,  at  the 
entrance  to  the  compound.  As  I  stopped  beneath 
the  eaves  of  the  gate,  I  collided  with  some  one 
and  was  startled  almost  into  a  panic ;  but  recovering, 
roughly  asked  who  it  was,  as  if  I  had  found  an 
intruder  and  proposed  to  have  him  ejected. 

"Only  the  minstrel/'  was  the  half-frightened, 
apologetic  reply. 

"The  what?"  I  said,  breathing  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"The  minstrel/'  he  repeated,  extending  his  lute 
as  proof  of  the  statement. 

I  took  the  instrument  in  my  hands  and  touched 
the  strings  lightly,  and  its  sweet  voice  came  back 
to  me  with  a  murmur  of  memories.  I  recognized 
my  companion,  as  one  of  those  now  nearly  extinct 
geniuses,  a  wandering  minstrel.  I  remembered  a 
gray-haired  man  who  often  journeyed  to  my  fath 
er's  house,  and  placed  the  instrument  in  my  hands. 
He  came  to  make  the  lute  laugh,  and  cry,  and  sing 
like  a  thing  of  life. 


1 62  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

'Throw  me  out,  lad,  and  I  will  thank  you.  I  am 
here  much  against  my  will,"  he  said. 

Something  in  his  voice  gave  me  a  start,  and  seiz 
ing  him  by  the  shoulder,  I  dragged  him  into  the 
light,  then  I  picked  him  up  in  my  arms  and  carried 
him  back  into  the  shadows.  It  was  the  wasted,  tot 
tering  form  of  the  old  friend  of  my  childhood.  I 
pulled  his  delicate  face  over  on  my  shoulder  and 
bathed  it  with  tears. 

"Old  Mayo,"  I  cried,  "where  did  you  come 
from?"  He  freed  himself  and  stood  up,  searching 
my  face  carefully  in  the  uncertain  light. 

"Ah!"  said  the  man  who  was  seldom  moved  by 
anything  but  his  music,  "you  are  the  son  of  the 
great  Sung-ji,  the  boy  who  was  drowned  last  sea 
son." 

"Not  dead,"  I  said. 

"No?"  he  asked,  pulling  his  rumpled  coat  in 
order.  "Simply  ran  away,  hey?" 

"No,  no;  I  was  driven  out  to  sea,  and  have  not 
been  home  yet,"  I  replied. 

"A  coolie,  I  see;"  he  added  drily. 

I  did  not  like  his  cold  response  to  my  burst  of 
feeling,  and  remembering  that  I  was  the  Sung-ji's 
son,  and  he  one  who  had  sought  alms  at  my  father's 
gate,  stepping  from  him,  I  stiffly  replied,  that  I 
hoped,  in  my  delight  to  see  him,  I  had  not  hurt  him. 

He  noted  the  change  in  my  voice,  and  reaching 
for  my  hand,  led  me  to  a  bend  in  the  wall,  where  we 
would  not  be  interrupted. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  163 

"No,  lad,"  said  he,  "my  heart  is  full.  Yours  is 
the  first  familiar  face  I  have  seen  for  many  days.  I 
fell  in  the  rear  of  the  Chinese  army  some  time  ago, 
and  have  come  through  a  desolated  region  to  this 
city.  China  has  loved  us  to  our  ruin.  I  was  seized 
in  the  city  yesterday  for  a  Japanese  spy,  because 
my  hair  had  fallen  out  and  my  sangtu1  was  gone. 

"To  prove  that  I  am  a  Korean,  I  played  until  the 
tears  blinded  the  eyes  of  the  commander  and  they 
ordered  me  here  to-night  to  entertain  this  company 
of  revelers  and  wait  for  my  fate  to-morrow.  They 
forget,  however,  that  even  a  dying  man  may  grow 
hungry.  They  want  my  lute  to  laugh  while  they 
whet  the  axe  for  my  neck.  No  prison  could  be  more 
secure  than  this  compound.  Sentinels  are  posted  at 
all  openings.  Thrice  have  I  lounged  around  the 
yard  vainly  looking  for  an  unguarded  opening,  but 
finally  took  refuge  far  from  that  terrible  discord 
that  they  call  music.  Indeed,  my  fingers  were  in  my 
ears  when  you  bumped  against  me.  Tell  me  your 
story,  lad.  No,  you  will  not  have  time.  Those  noisy 
demons  across  the  way  are  stopping  their  powwow. 
My  turn  must  be  near,"  he  added  with  a  groan. 

A  thousand  questions  were  on  my  lips  regarding 
my  home,  but  at  that  moment  a  call  for  the  lute  was 
heard.  He  picked  up  the  instrument  and  rose  un 
steadily  to  his  feet.  Hardship  and  old  age  were  fast 
telling  on  him. 

*Hair  worn  on  the  top  of  the  head  in  a  topnot  is  called  a  "Sangtu." 


164  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

A  thought  struck  me,  and  seizing  the  lute — "O, 
Mayo,''  I  said,  excitedly,  "let  me  have  it.  I  will 
play.  Quick!  Quick!  They  are  calling,  and  will 
be  searching  for  you." 

"No,  no,"  said  he.  "The  minstrel  forfeits  his  life 
in  the  morning.  The  song — then  death." 

"Quick!  Your  hat,  shoes,  coat.  Lights  are  mov 
ing,  they  are  searching!"  In  a  moment  his  shoes 
were  on  my  feet,  and  his  broad-brimmed  hat  hiding 
my  dark  hair  and  much  of  my  face.  I  had  forced 
his  coarse  coat  from  him. 

"Can  you  do  it,  lad?"  he  asked,  and  I  detected 
tears  in  his  voice.  "Give  them  music  of  war  and 
love,  boy.  How  large  you  have  grown.  Indeed,  if 
you  do  as  well  as  when  we  sat  those  long  days  under 
the  sweet  elm  on  the  banks  of  the  Tong  River,  it 
will  be  well  for  old  Mayo  to  die  and  pass  the  art  on 
to  you.  But  think,  lad;  music — then  death." 

The  old  man  had  followed  me  out  into  the  light 
to  meet  those  who  were  hunting  for  the  minstrel.  I 
had  taken  the  precaution  to  twist  my  headcloth 
around  his  scanty,  gray  locks. 

"Here  he  is,"  they  shouted,  as  they  caught  sight 
of  me  with  the  lute  under  my  arm.  "Hurry  there, 
you,"  they  called,  "his  Excellency  is  waiting.  Who 
is  this?"  they  asked,  looking  at  my  companion.  He 
was  a  picture  of  feeble  old  age,  as  he  stood,  half 
clad,  in  the  flickering  torch  light. 

"Hungry,"  I  said.     "Give  him  something  to  eat 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  165 

and  lead  him  out."  I  was  pushed  on,  and  was  glad, 
on  glancing  back,  to  see  him  led  to  the  open  kitchen 
door. 

I  knelt  at  the  feet  of  those  who  had  demanded 
music  of  him  whom  they  had  condemned  to  death. 
My  back  was  to  the  open  yard,  and  I  sat  facing  an 
opening  that  led  into  the  main  building,  the  eaves  of 
which  nearly  touched  the  eaves  of  the  pavilion.  The 
search  had  called  out  many  idlers  of  the  compound. 
Before  me,  under  the  roof  of  the  other  building, 
were  the  dancing  girls,  and  over  their  shoulders 
peered  the  faces  of  many  women  belonging  to  the 
household  of  the  great  Yi.  I  was  told  to  face  the 
company  in  the  pavilion  and  arose  accordingly,  but 
in  kneeling  managed  again  to  face  the  company  in 
the  outer  building.  A  smile  of  indulgence  flitted 
over  their  faces,  supposing  that  I  was  overcome  with 
embarrassment,  in  reply  to  which,  I  straightened  my 
shoulders  and  with  great  deliberation  settled  upon 
my  heels,  then  curled  my  feet  in  front  and  assumed 
the  position  of  their  equals,  in  sitting  down  upon  a 
cushion  that  was  at  my  side.  A  moment  of  tense 
silence  followed,  and  one  of  the  attendants  moved 
forward  and  hoarsely  whispered  so  that  all  heard : 

"Down  on  your  knees,  fool !"  I  arose  and  stepped 
in  front  of  the  host,  and  bowing  low,  said : 

"Most  excellent  sir,  he  who  is  appointed  to  please 
you  with  music,  and  song,  and  then  to  die,  whose 
soul  will  precede  to  the  spirit  land,  a  few  hours,  the 


1 66  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

souls  of  these  noble  generals ;  he,  who  in  his  youth 
was,  and  still  is,  the  peer  of  this  excellent  company, 
save  he  who  has  the  rank  of  General,  assumes  the 
right  cf  sitting;  so  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  the 
sages."  Almost  in  unison  with  my  voice  the  inter 
preter  had  done  his  duty. 

'The  music,  the  music,"  called  a  guest.  'The 
music,"  repeated  the  host.  I  sat  down  on  the 
cushion  facing  the  building  beyond,  and  when  an  at 
tendant  stepped  forward  to  interfere,  the  guest  of 
honor  waved  him  aside.  I  chose  a  war  song  that 
good  old  Mayo  had  stirred  my  heart  with  when  a 
boy.  An  uneasy  look  crept  into  the  faces  of  some  of 
the  officers.  Their  minds  were  busied  with  the 
thoughts  of  the  uncertain  conflict  of  the  near  future. 
I  played  of  love  and  fidelity,  and  the  company  grew 
quiet.  I  was  back  on  the  river  bank  under  the  sweet 
elm  with  Mayo.  I  heard  the  water  dashing  at  my 
feet,  a  thousand  odors  were  in  the  air,  and  from  the 
haze  of  a  happy,  sunny  day,  appeared  the  face  of  one 
for  whom  I  had  given  up  all.  The  strings  under  my 
fingers  yearningly  sang  and  wept  in  response  to  the 
great  sob  that  filled  my  soul.  The  dancing  girls  had 
pushed  nearly  to  the  pavilion,  and  in  their  rear  stood 
the  women  of  the  home,  yielding  to  their  curiosity 
as  far  as  custom  would  allow.  Two  of  the  dancers 
moved  their  position,  and  revealed  a  kneeling  figure 
with  the  face  upturned  to  me  in  absorbed  interest. 
Tipping  my  head  back,  my  hat  slipped  down  upon 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  167 

my  back  like  a  shield,  with  the  rim  reaching  above 
my  head.  I  gazed  into  the  eyes  of  the  maiden,  as  I 
had  done  once  before,  at  the  old  hermitage,  and  she 
looked  back  with  the  old,  startled  look  of  wonder. 

Suddenly,  an  echo  reverberated  through  the  hills 
and  seemed  to  besiege  the  city  walls.  The  company 
started,  and  instinctively  rose  to  its  feet,  then  again 
the  echo  distinctly  proclaimed  skirmishing  in  front 
of  the  city,  and  immediately  the  compound  was  in 
wild  confusion.  There  was  a  clatter  of  feet  outside 
and  an  orderly  entered  with  a  note  to  General  Yuan, 
who  received  it  quietly,  and  did  not  forget  to  thank 
his  host  for  the  pleasant  occasion.  A  sharp  com 
mand  followed,  and  a  guard  of  fifty  men,  from  be 
yond  the  gate,  poured  into  the  yard.  I  thought  to 
make  my  escape  in  the  sudden  confusion ;  but  a  hand 
was  laid  on  my  shoulder  and  I  was  led  to  one  of  ihe 
rooms  of  a  long,  low  building  lining  the  compoun'd 
and  locked  in,  while  a  soldier  began  pacing  at  the 
door.  I  threw  myself  on  the  floor,  and  was  com 
forted  with  the  thought  that  when  the  examination 
should  take  place  the  persistency  with  which  my 
sangtu  would  cling  to  my  scalp,  would  be  sufficient 
proof  of  my  nationality. 

The  firing  had  ceased  and  the  steady  tramp  of  my 
guard,  with  now  and  then  the  bark  of  a  dog,  was 
the  only  sound  that  reached  my  prison  cell,  and 
slumber  sped  me  on  to  the  ghastly  scenes  of  the 
morrow. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  CONTRACT,  AND  AN  EXECUTION 

I  DREAMED  of  the  old  cave  overlooking  the  sea, 
and  the  sobbing  of  the  tide  through  the  rocks  below. 
Voices  called  and  whispered  my  name.  The  music 
of  laughter  was  in  the  voices,  and  out  of  the  mist  ap 
peared  a  face,  a  sweet  face,  which  had  often  smiled 
at  me.  The  lips  parted  and  beckoned  me  to  follow. 
Eagerly  I  pursued,  and  the  face  receded  seaward.  I 
followed  the  phantom  till,  slipping  on  the  brink  of 
the  cliff,  I  looked  into  the  abyss  at  the  withered, 
lifeless  face  of  old  Cho,  the  seer. 

I  awoke  with  a  start,  feeling  that  someone  was 
with  me  in  the  room.  A  late  moon  had  risen  and 
was  glancing  in  upon  the  place  where  I  lay,  but  in 
the  corners  darkness  prevailed.  Believing  that  my 
dream  had  deceived  me,  I  lay  back  on  the  wood  pil 
low,  while  my  eyes  rested  upon  the  darkness  of  the 
corner  opposite.  Gradually  a  light  outline  seemed 
to  possess  the  deep  shadows,  then  a  white  figure  rose 
and  stood  regarding  me  without  a  motion.  My 
heart  choked  me  with  sudden  fear,  when  a  soft  whis 
per  reached  my  ear.  "O,  holy  seer."  Then  I  knew. 
I  did  not  rise.  The  revulsion  of  feeling  from  fear 
left  me  with  a  sense  of  weakness  and  almost  nausea. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  169 

In  the  moonlight  I  recognized  Ewa's  face,  on  which 
was  written  deepest  distress.  I  put  out  my  hand, 
but  she  shook  her  head  and  withdrew.  Fearing 
that  I  might  frighten  her  away,  I  remained  quiet 
and  it  seemed  as  if  I  were  still  in  my  dreams.  She 
presently  crept  on  hands  and  knees  close  to  my  side. 

"Holy  seer,"  she  breathed  rather  than  whispered, 
"know  you  of  the  morrow?" 

"Not  seer,  maiden/'  I  said.  "I  am  no  more  of 
the  cave.  What  of  the  morrow?" 

"Know  you  not  that  you  are  to  die?" 

"Die?"  said  I.  "For  what  crime?  My  hair  is 
well  rooted  to  my  scalp,  and  there  is  an  abundance 
of  it.  Will  it  not  prove  that  I  am  a  Korean?" 

"Know  you  not  that  the  minstrel  is  already  con 
demned  to  death?  Did  you  think,  sir,  there  would 
be  another  trial?  Could  a  haughty  Japanese  defy 
General  Yuan  with  more  frantic  zeal  than  you  did? 
Think  you  that  they  will  need  any  better  proof?" 

The  terrible  truth  gradually  dawned  upon  me, 
and  made  me  sick  and  faint.  After  a  long  pause  I 
managed  to  compel  my  lips  to  say,  "When  ?  When, 
Ewa,  when?" 

"I  do  not  know,  sir,  but  think  about  sunrise." 

She  bent  to  gaze  in  my  face,  and  her  breath  came 
short  and  sharp,  waving  the  hair  on  my  forehead. 

"How  did  you  get  in?"  I  asked. 

"Money  will  be  of  little  use  in  a  day  or  two — 
never  mind  how  I  got  it — money  did  it." 


170  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"Will  not  money  take  us  out?"  I  asked. 

"Death  for  both  of  us,"  she  replied ;  then  after  a 
pause,  added,  "O,  let  us  try." 

"No,  no!    It  would  endanger  your  life." 

"See,"  said  she,  pulling  back  her  sleeve  and  ex 
tending  her  bare  arm  near  my  eyes. 

"The  cross,"  said  I,  wonderingly,  as  I  noted  the 
sign  pricked  in  her  white  flesh.  She  withdrew  the 
arm,  and  from  her  pocket  took  a  needle,  and  reach 
ing  for  my  wrist  deftly  pricked  beneath  the  skin  the 
sign  of  the  cross. 

"Will  to-morrow  be  the  cross?"  I  asked. 

"I  do  not  know,  but  for  me — the  cross  always." 

"O,  Ewa,  our  marriage  contract,"  I  exclaimed, 
lifting  the  little  toil-stained  hand,  and  touching  rev 
erently  the  sign  of  the  cross. 

She  rose  and  glided  away  like  a  ghost  in  the 
moonlight,  and  I  wondered  if  it  were  all  true.  I 
thought  I  felt  a  slight  impress  on  the  forehead  as 
if  a  breeze  had  touched  me  there.  Then  the  truth 
of  my  sentence  came  over  me,  and  my  face  blanched 
in  the  dark,  and  when  I  rose,  my  legs  shook  under 
me.  I  felt  across  the  darkened  corner  where  Ewa 
had  disappeared.  A  small  door,  evidently  opening 
into  a  floorless  kitchen,  met  my  hand  and  resisted 
all  efforts  to  push  it  open. 

Why  had  I  gone  to  sleep?  Why  had  I  not  dug 
through  the  mud  walls  during  the  night  ?  I  bitterly 
thought.  Through  the  lattice  work,  covered  with 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  171 

paper  serving  as  a  small  window,  I  worked  my 
ringers,  and  placing  my  eye  to  the  hole  could  see  the 
east  lighting  with  the  coming  dawn.  Silently,  I 
struggled  with  the  latticed  window,  but  could  not 
move  it.  My  hand  slipped  and  the  sudden  noise 
brought  the  gun  of  the  guard  against  the  front  door 
with  a  savage  expletive  in  Chinese. 

I  sat  down  and  tried  to  think,  and  as  I  fully  re 
alized  my  position,  a  feeling  of  stupefaction  crept 
over  me,  for  a  time,  destroying  my  power  of  reason 
ing.  Finally,  rousing  myself,  the  scenes  of  my  short 
life  rapidly  passed  before  my  mind ;  my  home  and 
all  its  protection  and  solicitude;  my  mother's  and 
father's  faces ;  broad-shouldered,  rugged  Tong-siki ; 
old  Mayo  and  his  weeping  lute.  The  light,  creeping 
into  the  corner,  revealed  the  instrument  of  my  \toe. 
I  remembered  that  the  neighbors  often  gathered  to 
listen  to  that  wizard  of  music.  When  I  took  the  in 
strument  from  the  old  man's  hand,  and  the  plaintive 
strings  brought  tears  to  their  eyes,  they  would 
shake  their  heads  and  say,  "Uncanny,  aye,  uncanny. 
Bid  the  boy  leave  the  voice  of  the  spirits  alone.  An 
ger  not  the  gods,  or  like  a  hound,  hot  upon  the  track 
of  its  prey,  they  will  run  the  lad  down.  Aye,  music 
will  be  his  death." 

Suddenly,  my  meditations  were  interrupted  by  a 
roll  of  distant  rifle  fire,  and  the  immediate  booming 
of  heavy  guns  from  the  fortifications  in  front  of  the 
city.  A  feeling  of  grim  pleasure,  like  an  evil  bird, 


172  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

winged  its  way  into  my  soul.  I  would  not  be  the 
only  one  at  the  slaughter  that  day,  and  perhaps 
where  many  fall,  there  will  be  a  chance  for  some  to 
escape. 

The  sun  rose,  yet  I  was  not  led  to  the  execution. 
Occasionally,  a  shot  would  pierce  the  roof  of  the 
house  and  send  pieces  of  tile  rattling  down  upon  the 
ground.  Twice  during  the  morning  I  heard  a  sharp 
explosion  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house,  caused  by  the 
dropping  of  shells  near  at  hand.  I  tore  the  paper 
clear  from  the  lattice  work  in  front  and  saw  my 
guard  standing  a  few  feet  away,  listening  to  the 
battle  that  seemed  to  approach  every  moment. 

Finally,  there  was  a  rattle  at  the  chain  on  my 
door.  Two  men  entered,  while  faces  filled  the  door 
way.  My  feet  were  bound  and  my  hands  tied  be 
hind  me,  then  hands  and  feet  were  tied  together,  and 
I  lay  on  the  floor  like  a  goat  ready  to  be  slung  upon 
the  shoulders  of  its  keeper.  A  long  pole  was 
brought  in,  and  passed  between  legs  and  arms  so 
that,  when  they  lifted  the  pole  to  a  dozen  shoulders, 
I  swung  underneath  and  lengthwise  with  it.  My 
head  swung  downward  and  swayed  with  the  motion 
of  the  carriers.  Hasty  remarks  were  passed  among 
the  bearers,  as  the  crowd  conducted  us  out  of  the 
gate  into  the  opening.  My  countrymen  with  scared 
faces  crowded  the  entrance  to  the  yard.  "Spy, 
traitor,"  passed  from  lip  to  lip,  adding  to  my  bitter 
ness. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  173 

Leaving  tlie  gate  the  bearers  turned  abruptly  to 
the  north  and  journeyed  for  half  an  hour  up  the 
hill,  back  of  the  city.  The  twisting  and  wrenching 
at  my  arms  became  excruciating,  but  I  bit  my  lips 
and  resolved  that  I  would  die,  as  a  brave  man  should 
— without  a  murmur. 

At  last,  I  was  deposited  face  down  upon  the 
ground  in  the  dust.  The  thongs  tying  my  hands 
and  feet  were  cut,  and  I  was  turned  upon  my  back, 
my  hands  still  bound  behind  me.  Immediately  some 
one  seized  me  roughly  by  the  hair,  and  pulled  me  to 
my  knees  and  my  head  forward  near  the  ground.  As 
my  face  came  forward  I  noticed  a  huge  Chinaman 
standing  at  my  side  with  a  heavy  sword  held  in  both 
hands.  Soon  it  would  be  over.  The  earth  seemed 
to  whirl  beneath  my  eyes,  then  my  vision  cleared, 
and  I  counted  the  pebbles  lying  at  the  roots  of  a  tuft 
of  grass.  A  tiny  ant  wound  its  way  among  the 
pebbles,  while  another  climbed  a  blade  of  grass,  una 
ware,  I  thought,  of  the  flood  bounding  through  my 
veins  above  their  home.  The  shadow  of  the  rising 
sword  fell  across  the  sand  under  my  eyes,  and  I 
caught  my  breath  and  grew  rigid  for  the  blow,  then 
there  was  a  sharp  report,  like  a  lightning  crash, 
and  I  rolled  over  on  my  side,  half  covered  with 
earth.  Instantly  a  face,  shaded  by  a  farmer's  shield- 
like  hat,  looked  down  into  mine  and  a  sharp  knife 
passed  between  hands  and  feet. 


174  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"Run,  run,  lad !"  cried  the  voice  of  Mayo.  As  I 
struggled  to  my  feet  I  put  out  my  hand,  and  when 
I  glanced  at  it,  it  was  warm  and  red.  A  glance  told 
the  story.  A  shell  had  fallen  in  our  midst,  and  my 
would-be  executioner  was  a  heap,  with  his  hideous 
sword  under  him.  Others  were  lying  near,  some 
still,  while  others  screamed  and  moaned.  I  ran,  or 
hobbled,  until  the  circulation  returned  to  my  ankles, 
then  I  plunged  over  the  next  rise  of  ground  into  a 
small  creek,  and  took  refuge  behind  a  bowlder, 
\vhere  I  washed  the  red  from  my  hands.  On  the 
side  of  the  narrow  gorge,  appeared  Mayo  frantically 
gesticulating  for  me  to  run.  Down  the  valley  I  sped 
toward  the  city,  hoping  to  be  lost  in  the  crowd. 
Plunging  around  a  bowlder,  I  stumbled  and  fell. 
Looking  back  at  the  cause  of  my  accident,  I  saw  the 
body  of  one  of  my  countrymen,  his  face  near  the 
water  and  a  hoe  in  his  hand.  The  grass  on  the  bank 
above  was  red,  showing  where  he  had  dragged  him 
self,  by  the  aid  of  his  hoe,  till  his  lips  had  almost 
touched  the  cool  stream;  then  his  soul  had  fled.  I 
noticed  that  he  was  young,  scarcely  more  than  a  boy. 
I  tore  the  turban  from  his  head  and  bound  it  around 
mine,  pulled  his  coat  off  and  put  mine  on  him,  and 
smeared  it  with  blood.  I  raised  a  stone  in  the  creek 
and  dropped  the  bloody  garment  under,  then  seizing 
his  hoe  ran  on.  Voices  in  front  brought  me  to  a 
standstill. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  175 

A  score  of  soldiers  and  as  many  of  my  country 
men  had  started  in  pursuit  of  the  hated  spy,  and 
they  had  cut  off  my  escape  down  the  creek  gorge. 
For  me  to  return  would  be  impossible,  so  I  shoul 
dered  my  hoe  and  walked  leisurely  on,  trying  to  re 
press  my  fierce  breathing.  Up  the  gorge  they  came 
and  I  stepped  aside  to  let  them  pass.  The  foremost 
seized  me  and  demanded  something  in  Chinese.  I 
swung  my  hoe  and  chattered  vociferously,  and 
pressed  my  stomach  to  show  that  I  was  hungry.  An 
interpreter  coming  up  demanded  who  I  was. 

Just  from  the  fortifications  on  the  north,  coming 
to  the  city  to  get  something  to  eat,  but  I  would  go 
back,  indeed  I  would.  I  had  a  special  delight  in 
working  on  Chinese  fortifications.  Ordinarily,  hun 
ger  would  only  add  to  my  zeal,  but  I  did  not  know 
but  that  my  home  had  been  blown  to  pieces  by  the 
bombardment,  and  my  old  father  killed. 

"Stealing  hoes,"  said  he,  pointing  to  that  instru 
ment  in  my  hands. 

No,  no;  I  brought  it  along  simply  to  bury  my 
father  with  if  he  should  have  been  killed ;  then,  too, 
I  was  afraid  that  the  Japanese  might  steal  it  in  my 
absence. 

The  Chinaman  laughed,  and  then  a  cry  from  those 
who,  after  a  glance  at  me,  had  hurried  on  up  the 
gorge,  started  him  in  pursuit.  Evidently  my  ruse 
had  succeeded.  I  learned  afterwards  that  they  took 
up  the  poor  fellow's  body  and  decapitated  it,  and 


176  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

anxious  to  return  to  the  city  where  important  and 
exciting  events  were  happening  they  did  not  stop 
to  bury  the  body  but  hastened  back  to  their  head 
quarters  where  they  reported  that  the  spy  had  been 
executed.  Fortunately  for  me,  they  who  had  noted 
my  face  closely  were  lying  still  in  death  on  the  hill 
side. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
PANIC 

STRAY  shots  were  clipping  the  grass  on  the  bank 
above  me  and  I  became  conscious,  for  the  first  time, 
that  the  noise  of  battle  waged  with  terrific  fury  on 
four  sides  of  the  city,  and  that  the  Chinese  were 
not  driving  the  Japanese  back,  but  from  the  sounds, 
were  themselves  taking  refuge  inside  the  city  walls. 

All  day  I  moved  out  and  in  among  the  buildings 
that  shivered  with  the  shock  of  battle.  Shells  ex 
ploded,  and  flames  burst  out  here  and  there  from 
the  straw  thatched  roofs.  The  wounded  were  car 
ried  from  the  walls  and  laid  in  sheltered  places  in 
long  lines  of  writhing,  moaning  shapes. 

The   outer    fortifications   were  gradually   aban 
doned,  and  when  night  closed  in,  the  troops  were 
massed  behind  the  wall  inside  the  city  and  fought  on. 

I  moved  amid  this  fury  of  human  passion,  in 
different  to  the  rain  of  shot  and  shell.  Amidst  the 
heat  and  stifling  smoke  was  the  cool  touch  upon  my 
forehead,  and  a  sweet  voice  ringing  in  my  ears,  and 
I  was  happy.  Thus  may  one  carry  heaven  with  him 
'mid  scenes  of  hell. 

Often,  I  found  myself  at  the  gate  of  the  rich  Yi, 
but  it  was  guarded  by  soldiers,  as  the  headquarters 

177 


178  EVVA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

of  General  Yuan.  I  looked  into  the  eyes  of  the 
mangled  and  dying  and  wondered  how  death  could 
be  so  cruel.  Then  a  great  feeling  of  pity  filled  my 
heart  and  I  sought  among  the  brackish  wells  for 
water,  and  filling  a  gourd  carried  it  to  their  grateful 
lips  many  times  that  day,  while  messengers  of  death 
fell  around  me.  I  had  escaped  death  once,  and 
somehow  felt  that  it  would  not  call  for  me  again 
that  time. 

Later,  I  \vas  seized  with  an  impulse  to  visit  the 
place  where  I  had  nearly  lost  my  life  and,  for  the 
first  time  since  my  escape,  a  feeling  of  terror  crept 
over  me  as  I  looked  upon  the  mangled  corpse  of 
him  who  \vas  supposed  to  be  myself. 

When  night  came  on  the  firing  ceased,  and  I  crept 
up  to  the  wall  that  sheltered  Ewa  and,  wearied 
beyond  expression,  lay  down  on  the  ground  and 
slept. 

At  dawn,  heavy  firing  announced  the  beginning 
of  the  next  day's  carnage,  and  the  besieged  fought 
with  less  confidence.  Many  of  them  were  driven 
to  the  walls  by  their  officers.  I  was  seized  and  set 
to  work  with  my  hoe  on  the  embankment  where  it 
had  been  broken  down  by  the  previous  day's 
fighting. 

During  the  morning,  a  huge  pile  of  rice  was 
heaped  upon  a  large  mat  near  where  I  worked,  and 
I  joined  the  soldiers  around  it  with  my  hoe  leaning 
against  my  shoulder,  and  no  one  forbade  me. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  179 

The  fighting  became  terrific  and  men  fell  every 
where,  and  I  was  ordered  to  help  carry  the  wounded 
from  the  walls.  We  stretched  them  out  by  the  side 
of  yesterday's  victims,  and  the  line  grew  longer 
momentarily.  Yesterday's  wounded  had  received 
little  care,  and  many  lips  that  had  moaned  then 
were  silent  to-day. 

As  night  approached,  the  greatest  confusion  pre 
vailed,  and  hundreds  deserted  and  prowled  through 
the  streets  for  plunder,  defying  their  officers  when 
ordered  to  the  walls.  If  the  enemy  had  known  the 
panic  within  the  city,  they  might  easily  have  taken 
it  long  before  they  gained  possession  of  the  north 
ern  fortifications,  where  they  turned  our  own  guns 
upon  the  city.  When  night  fell  again  our  general 
asked  for  an  armistice,  which  was  agreed  to  by  the 
Japanese. 

Early  in  the  evening  camp  fires  were  extinguished, 
and  the  embankment  stopping  the  great  West  Gate 
was  partly  removed,  as  if  preparations  were  being 
made  to  admit  the  enemy.  The  walls  of  the  city 
were  practically  deserted  and  its  defense  given  up. 
Soldiers  threw  away  their  guns  and  loaded  them 
selves  with  plunder.  Finally,  it  dawned  upon  me 
that  the  Chinese  soldiers  were  going  to  try  to  escape 
and  leave  the  Koreans  to  their  fate,  for  no  one 
doubted  that  the  capture  of  the  city  would  result  in 
an  indiscriminate  massacre. 


180  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

I  pushed  my  way  through  a  surging-  mass  of  dis 
organized  soldiery  and  found  the  home  of  Yi  still 
under  guard.  Returning  to  watch  the  movements 
of  the  panic-stricken  soldiers,  I  ran  into  a  group  of 
Koreans  who  were  excitedly  gesticulating.  Every 
body  called  something,  but  no  one  knew  what  the 
other  intended  to  do. 

"They  can't  get  the  West  Gate  open  and  are  plan 
ning  to  flee  from  the  South  Gate.  Let's  go!  let's 
go!"  someone  called. 

"Better  stay.  They  will  shoot  you  down  on  the 
outside  of  the  city!"  a  voice  protested. 

"Better  on  the  outside  while  running  than  on  the 
inside  like  rats  in  a  hole.  Flee  from  the  massacre!" 
was  the  reply,  the  last  word  ending  in  a  scream. 

"Massacre!  massacre!"  flew  from  lip  to  lip. 

"To  the  gate !"  they  shouted,  and  ran  for  the  West 
Gate.  A  score  of  hands  tore  away  the  mound  of 
rocks  and  earth,  while  hundreds  surged  upon  them 
from  the  rear,  but  the  task  was  great,  and  being 
deserted  by  the  soldiers,  they  fled  in  the  direction 
of  the  South  Gate,  to  pass  through  which  would 
mean  that  the  fugitives  would  have  to  race  at  least 
two  miles  in  the  face  of  the  Japanese  troops,  but  in 
the  panic  no  one  thought  of  that. 

I  hastened  back  to  the  Yi  home,  and  was  aston 
ished  at  the  number  of  women  and  even  children 
that  had  remained  in  the  city.  Mothers  with  babies 
on  their  backs  jostled  with  the  soldiers  and  Korean 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  181 

citizens,  unnoticed.  A  helpless  woman  was  being 
trampled  upon.  I  dragged  her  to  her  feet,  and  with 
out  a  word  she  joined  the  press.  The  night  was 
intensely  dark,  but  in  that  part  of  the  city,  out  of 
view  of  the  enemy,  lights  still  hung  from  poles  along 
the  streets.  On  reaching  Yi's  home,  I  found,  to  my 
dismay,  that  the  guard  had  gone,  and  on  running 
through  the  building  found  it  unoccupied  save  by 
looters  in  the  persons  of  my  own  countrymen,  load 
ing  themselves  with  everything  of  value.  I  rushed 
to  the  women's  quarters,  but  they  also  were  empty. 
Frantic  with  fear  and  disappointment,  I  ran  from 
the  compound  to  pursue  the  fugitives.  On  the  out 
side  I  collided  with  a  man  wearing  a  silk  coat,  and 
recognized  him  as  the  governor's  secretary.  He 
was  too  much  terrified  to  resent  the  shock. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  I  called. 

"For  the  governor's  seal  of  office,"  he  gasped. 
"It  was  left  in  the  care  of  Yi.  Where  is  the  treasury 
box?"  he  said,  thinking  I  was  a  servant. 

"Where  is  the  governor?"  I  asked. 

"At  the  South  Gate  in  a  chair ;  but  the  seal !  the 
seal !" 

I  ran  for  the  South  Gate  without  replying,  and 
looked  into  the  face  of  everyone.  I  thought  again 
and  again  that  I  had  found  the  one  I  sought,  but 
each  time  discovered  the  face  of  a  stranger. 

At  the  gates  surged  a  great  mass,  Chinese  and 
Koreans,  fighting  and  trampling  each  other.  In 


1 82  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

the  midst  was  the  chair  of  the  governor  with  its 
runners,  ordering  the  people  to  clear  the  way,  but 
no  one  paid  any  notice  to  his  authority.  He  was 
driven  from  side  to  side  like  a  tiny  boat  on  a 
storm-swept  sea.  With  a  feeling  of  grim  satisfac 
tion,  I  saw  him  tumbled  from  his  chair  and  tram 
pled  upon.  Faithful  servants  dragged  him  to  his 
feet  and  he  was  again  borne  aloft  and  crowded 
through  the  gate. 

On  the  right  and  left,  the  gate  was  flanked  with 
high  walls  which  narrowed  down  at  the  entrance 
to  a  width  of  fifteen  feet.  It  was  at  this  point 
where  the  jam  became  greatest. 

I  crowded  into  the  outgoing  stream  and  was  car 
ried  along,  pressing  my  puny  strength  against  it. 
At  my  feet,  someone  fell.  There  was  a  cry  of  pain, 
and  the  life  was  trampled  out,  and  I  barely  escaped 
tripping  over  him.  Twenty  feet  beyond,  I  was  out 
of  the  gate  where  the  passage  was  widened.  On  the 
right  and  left,  houses  crowded  the  street,  but  the 
verandas  offered  more  room  to  the  crowd  which 
extended  and  surged  along  with  slightly  less  force. 
The  posts  supporting  the  verandas  offered  obstruc 
tions,  and  against  them  the  people  were  detained 
and  suspended  like  floating  grass  clinging  to  trees 
in  midstream.  To  one  of  these  posts  I  was  carried. 

It  was  dark  outside  the  gate  and  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  recognize  one's  nearest  neigh 
bor.  My  heart  sank  for  I  felt  the  impossibility  of 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  183 

finding  Ewa,  and  I  cursed  myself  for  the  folly  of 
entering  the  irresistible  human  current. 

I  was  swept  up  against  a  post  and  clung  to  it. 
Somebody  was  beneath  my  feet  trying  to  rise.  I 
reached  low  and  seized  the  man  by  the  arm.  He 
struggled  to  his  feet  with  a  sputtering  sound,  as 
if  he  had  been  filling  his  mouth  with  earth. 

"Are  you  all  right?"  he  gasped  as  soon  as  he 
could  speak.  Evidently  he  was  not  addressing  me, 
and  then  for  the  first  time  I  noticed  that  there  were 
hands  on  the  post  from  somewhere  on  the  other 
side.  The  voice  was  familiar.  He  spoke  again. 
"O,  Mayo!"  I  cried.  "Yes,  lad,"  he  said;  then  we 
were  swept  along. 

There  was  a  scream,  and  the  hands  on  the  other 
side  of  the  post  relaxed.  At  the  sound,  I  sprang  to 
where  I  heard  the  voice  and  seizing  a  wrist  followed 
the  arm  down  to  a  prostrate  figure.  I  locked  my 
hands  around  the  shoulders  of  the  trampled  victim 
and  lifted  with  all  my  might.  The  act  was  with 
the  impulse  of  instinct  and  worthy  neither  of  praise 
nor  blame.  It  required  only  a  fraction  of  a  second, 
yet  I  was  being  borne  to  the  ground  with  my  bur 
den.  I  lifted  till  a  thousand  stars  danced  before 
my  eyes,  yet  the  merciless  crowd  trampled  across 
the  limbs  of  the  half-prostrate  girl  like  some  fear 
ful  monster,  relentless,  fateful. 

The  slight  obstruction  we  offered  to  the  onrush- 
ing  current  divided  at  the  post  a  few  feet  away,  and 


184  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

formed  an  eddy  that  swept  us  aside  up  against  a 
building.  Here  I  was  able  to  lift  her  to  her  feet, 
and  we  leaned  against  the  wall  unable  to  speak  for 
lack  of  breath.  Repeated  shocks  from  the  crowd 
forced  us  to  the  end  of  the  building,  where  to  my 
joy  the  way  opened,  offering  room  for  the  multi 
tude. 

I  noticed  then  for  the  first  time  that  the  struggle 
was  going  on  silently,  save  for  the  rushing  sound 
as  of  a  herd  of  cattle  escaping  from  close  quarters 
into  an  open  field.  Men  and  women  went  down 
every  moment,  and  their  muffled  cries  were  lost  in 
the  tramp  of  feet.  As  soon  as  I  could  get  my 
breath,  I  asked,  "Do  you  know  me,  Ewa?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  her  voice  trembling  with  pain, 
and  freeing  herself  from  my  hold,  she  tried  to  stand 
alone,  but  sank  to  the  ground.  Then  I  knew  that 
she  was  injured. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  A  great  crowd  had 
already  preceded  us,  and  if  they  should  be  discov 
ered  our  fate  would  be  sealed. 

"On  my  back,  Ewa,  quick!"  I  urged. 

"I  am  heavy,"  said  she  faintly. 

"Quick !  quick !"  and  I  raised  her  to  her  feet  and 
knelt  with  my  back  to  her.  She  locked  her  arms 
around  my  neck  and  I  arose. 

"Heavy,"  said  she.     "Can  you  do  it?" 

"To  the  end  of  the  world,"  I  replied. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  185 

I  turned  northward,  hoping  to  escape  with  the 
Chinese  soldiers  who  were  fleeing  toward  the  Yalu 
River,  five  hundred  li  away. 

"The  Japanese  must  have  had  very  simple  confi 
dence  in  the  purpose  of  the  Chinese  to  keep  the 
terms  of  the  armistice,"  I  thought.  It  was  evident 
that  the  army  was  fleeing  for  miles,  within  hailing 
distance  of  the  Japanese  troops,  who  seemed  igno 
rant,  or  indifferent;  but  I  was  soon  to  learn  that 
they  would  awake  with  vengeance. 

I  took  a  path  that  led  close  to  the  city  wall,  and 
pushed  on  separating  ourselves  from  the  crowd  of 
fugitives.  I  knew  that  Ewa  was  suffering,  but  no 
sound  came  from  her  close-pressed  lips.  The  great 
press  at  the  gate  had  thinned  out  to  only  now  and 
then  a  straggler  in  our  vicinity. 

I  learned  afterward  that  many  had  taken  the 
opposite  direction  and  plunged  into  the  river, 
where,  at  low  tide,  it  could  be  easily  forded;  but, 
missing  their  footing,  were  swept  down  the  stream, 
and  were  seen  the  next  day  with  upturned  faces 
along  the  shore.  Boatmen  curiously  seized  blade 
objects  on  the  stream  and  brought  to  the  surface 
ghastly  faces,  that  made  them  scream  with  fear  and 
hurry  home  to  hide  from  the  terrors  of  the  water. 

Our  way  was  as  still  as  death.  Only  the  chirping 
of  crickets  and  the  song  of  the  katydid  disturbed 
the  stillness.  I  set  my  light  burden  down  to  rest, 
and  it  seemed  impossible  that  only  a  few  hours  ago, 


1 86  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

the  roar  of  battle  had  shaken  the  very  ground  upon 
which  stood  the  walls  that  frowned  in  the  darkness 
thirty  feet  above  us.  Out  across  the  plain,  a  feeble 
light  flickered,  showing  where  the  enemy  was  en 
camped.  Somewhere  in  the  dark,  between  us  and 
the  light,  thousands  of  eyes  were  straining  in  our 
direction,  and  thousands  of  fingers  were  eagerly ; 
searching  the  trigger  of  the  terrible  murata.  Death 
bristled  before  us  in  a  multitude  of  forms.  How'1 
sweet  life  seemed  then!  I  inquired  of  Ewa  if  she 
were  in  pain. 

'Tain  is  as  one  regards  it.  Even  torture  and 
death  under  some  circumstances  may  be  sweet.  At 
a  time  like  this,  to  acknowledge  pain  is  to  forfeit 
a  right  to  live,"  said  she  in  an  even  voice. 

Marveling  at  the  wisdom  and  courage  of  the 
untutored  slave  girl,  I  touched  her  hand  reverently. 
She  withdrew  it,  and  I  again  knelt  before  her  took 
her  on  my  back,  and  on  we  went.  We  hurried 
northward,  over  the  ancient  mounds  where  tens  of 
thousands  had  long  ago  been  laid  to  rest,  and  to  my 
distorted  imagination,  the  mounds  seemed  to  gape 
and  yawn  hungrily  at  my  feet  to  receive  the  human 
sacrifice  above. 

"Where  was  old  Mayo?  Had  he  been  trampled 
to  death  like  many  of  our  companions?"  I  asked 
myself.  We  had  been  separated  the  moment  after 
meeting,  and  I  longed  for  his  companionship  and 
advice. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  187 

Death  seemed  to  hang  upon  the  stillness,  and  I 
hastened  my  steps  till  my  breath  came  in  short 
gasps,  compelling  me  to  pause  for  a  moment,  and 
then  on. 

We  passed  through  the  gateway  of  the  outer, 
ancient  city,  which  for  centuries  had  stood  guard 
before  a  city  long  since  dead.  When  we  reached 
the  road  before  these  gates,  we  found  ourselves  again 
in  a  motley  crowd,  who,  though  having  scattered 
and  taken  different  paths,  were  reunited  at  this 
point.  There  were  Chinese  soldiers  and  Koreans, 
men,  women  and  children  fleeing  silently  into'  the 
dark.  Out  of  the  old  gates  and  down  the  slope  on 
the  northern  side  we  went  to  the  Peking  road,  and 
hope  began  to  dawn  in  my  heart.  A  half  hour  more 
and  we  would  be  beyond  the  Japanese  lines  and  safe. 

Pausing  again  to  rest,  I  put  Ewa  down  and  she 
pulled  my  sleeve.  "See!"  said  she,  "what  is  that?" 

I  looked  out  across  the  fields,  and  a  dark  line  in 
the  distance,  having  the  appearance  of  a  line  of 
rocks,  seemed  to  change  position  and  move  forward. 
"The  enemy,"  I  said  hoarsely,  and  knelt  for  Ewa. 

There  was  a  flash  that  dazzled  my  eyes  and  a 
crash  and  roar  as  of  thunder,  followed  by  screams 
and  moans.  The  road  seemed  to  be  filled  with 
people.  Some  turned  back,  but  most  sped  onward. 
Light  sprang  up  from  some  source,  revealing  us 
to  the  murderous  fire  of  the  enemy.  Men  dropped 
singly  and  in  groups  everywhere.  I  stumbled  over 


1 88  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

someone,  and  a  baby  cried  at  my  feet.  It  was  tied 
to  its  mother's  back,  who  lay  still.  I  turned  her 
over,  wondering  if  she  had  fainted  from  fright. 
A  red  pool  on  the  ground  told  the  story.  On  I  has 
tened  and  overtook  a  man  seated  on  the  ground 
holding  the  head  of  his  aged  father,  whose  face 
was  marble  white.  A  woman  sobbed  as  she  ran  at 
my  side.  On  her  back  was  a  two-year  old  child 
with  its  head  dangling  helplessly  on  one  side.  The 
mother  lifted  the  babe  in  place  and  gazed  with 
bulging  eyes  at  her  red  hand,  and  wiped  it  across 
her  skirts.  In  the  gutter  was  the  chair  of  the  gov 
ernor,  and  beside  it  lay  two  of  the  bearers.  All 
these  things  struck  into  my  mind,  like  a  flash  of 
light  on  the  negative  plate  in  a  camera,  and  horror 
filled  me.  On  I  went — on  past  the  belching  hell 
of  Japanese  fire — on,  with  Ewa.  The  effort  was 
prodigious,  my  breath  came  in  gasps,  and  there  was 
a  ringing  in  my  ears.  Suddenly,  a  sheet  of  flame 
spread  out  before  my  eyes  and  I  staggered.  Ewa 
slid  to  the  ground. 

"On,  on,  Ewa!  a  few  minutes  more,  and  then 
safety!"  I  said.  Then  I  realized  that  I  was  lying 
on  the  ground  and  that  she  was  tying  a  band  over 
my  side  where  a  warm  stream  was  trickling  down. 
The  firing  had  now  ceased,  and  the  road  was  filled 
with  the  enemy  moving  from  group  to  group  look 
ing  at  faces.  A  light  was  held  close  to  my  eyes,  and 
someone  seized  Ewa's  face  and  turned  it  upward; 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  189 

then  they  passed  to  others  and  left  us  alone.  I 
closed  my  eyes  with  weariness. 

"Ewa,"  I  said,  "we  must  on.  On  to  the  old  her 
mitage,  Ewa,  where  the  violets  bloom,  and  where 
the  sea  whispers  in  the  sun."  Then  I  awoke  from 
my  dreams  and  mutterings.  The  light  of  dawn 
was  breaking  over  the  earth. 

"Ewa/'  I  said,  "I  wanted  you.  I  gave  up  a  life 
of  ease  to  follow  you.  To  serve  as  a  slave  at  your 
side,  though  despised  of  men,  would  have  been  all 
I  asked.  Do  not  think  I  am  not  proud,  but  you 
were  more  than  rank,  wealth  and  parents  to  me — 
and  I  will  soon  be  as  one  of  these  terrible  pieces  of 
clay  over  which  we  stumbled." 

Ewa's  big  eyes  were  close  to  mine  and  tears  fell 
fast  upon  my  face. 

"Some  day,  Ewa,  where  men's  spirits  roam,  we 
will  meet.  I  swear  it,  Ewa." 

A  prolonged  "I-go"  drew  my  attention  to  a 
bowed  and  weeping  figure.  I  spoke  to  him. 

"Don't  weep,  dear  Mayo,"  I  said.  "You  must 
be  going.  Take  Ewa  and  flee.  See,  the  light  is 
growing  brighter.  Hurry,  begone  before  she  falls 
into  the  hands  of  the  Japanese.  Go!  go!"  I  said, 
then  I  felt  faint,  the  faces  above  me  grew  dark. 
She  was  speaking,  but  I  did  not  hear,  and  when 
next  I  came  to  myself  I  was  being  carried  on  a 
stretcher  between  two  Japanese  toward  the  city. 
The  jogging  hurt  me,  and  the  sun  shone  in  my  eyes. 


CHAPTER    XV 
CONVALESCENCE 

THEY  carried  me  to  one  of  the  old  public  build 
ings,  and  I  was  placed  on  a  table  under  the  hands 
of  a  surgeon  and  my  wound  probed  and  treated. 
I  had  expected  to  be  dispatched  in  order  to  rid  the 
army  of  a  burden ;  but  I  saw  a  number  under  sur 
gical  treatment,  not  only  Koreans,  but  also  many 
Chinese  soldiers.  Mercy  in  warfare  was  a  new 
idea  to  me  and  I  marveled  at  it  and  was  thankful. 

I  was  ill  many  days.  Some  of  them  were  a  blank 
and  dropped  completely  out  of  my  life.  Finally  the 
confused  dreams  and  mutterings  passed  away,  and 
the  heat  and  burning  thirst  were  over,  and  I  lay 
restful,  but  weak  and  sore.  The  surgeon  examined 
me  with  a  look  of  satisfaction,  and  when  I  looked 
over  the  bare  room  I  saw  that  only  a  few  still 
remained  who  had  crowded  it  when  I  was  first 
brought  in.  Day  by  clay,  I  pushed  back  from 
Death's  boundary  line  and  was  glad. 

One  morning  I  became  conscious  of  someone 
sitting  near  my  mat,  yet  beyond  my  view;  then  I 
remembered  that  I  had  felt  a  familiar  presence  dur 
ing  my  illness  like  a  shadow  of  an  old  friend,  and 
had  often  tried  to  talk  to  it.  I  struggled  to  look 

190 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  191 

back  of  me,  when  a  large  hand  was  laid  upon  my 
face  and  a  command  to  be  quiet  came  in  a  dear, 
familiar  voice.  I  pulled  the  hand  down  to  my  lips 
and  in  my  weakness  tears  flowed  down  upon  it. 
"Tong-siki,"  I  said,  "dear  Tong-siki." 

"Hush,"  he  interrupted,  "or  they  will  drive  me 
away.  Indeed,  if  you  cry  or  say  a  word,  I  will 
leave  you." 

His  threat  dried  my  eyes,  and  I  looked  up  in  his 
face  without  a  word. 

"You  are  better,"  said  he,  "and  I  am  here  to 
care  for  you  as  much  as  they  will  allow  me,  and 
when  you  have  recovered  I  will  take  you  away.  I 
have  many  things  to  tell  you  and  many  questions 
to  ask,  but  your  strength  will  not  allow  it  now. 
Once  I  lost  you  at  sea,  and  then  I  found  you  dying 
here,  yet  you  are  still  alive.  I  am  content  to  wait. 
Listen,  obey  your  surgeon  implicitly  and  all  will  be 
well." 

He  withdrew  and  sat  on  the  mat  beyond  my  head, 
out  of  my  sight,  and  when  the  surgeon  entered  he 
spoke  to  Tong-siki  in  Japanese,  and  to  my  surprise, 
he  replied  in  the  same  language. 

From  that  day  Tong-siki  became  my  nurse,  but 
it  was  a  long  time  before  he  would  reply  to  a  word 
addressed  to  him.  One  day  he  raised  me  to  a  sit 
ting  position  and  sat  down  at  my  feet. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "I  will  talk  with  you."  And 
after  a  few  minutes  of  aimless  talking,  as  if  to  get 


192  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

my  dull  wits  together,  he  said,  "No  doubt  you  are 
anxious  to  hear  some  news  from  your  old  home. 
The  war  disturbed  them  little.  Scouts  penetrated 
the  vicinity  of  your  town  and  some  of  them  paid 
your  home  a  visit.  A  few  supplies  satisfied  them 
and  they  committed  few  depredations.  Your 
mother  is  well,  but  your  father  is  ill.  Getting  old, 
you  know,  and  he  has  never  been  quite  the  same 
since  you  were  lost  on  the  river." 

I  opened  my  lips  to  speak,  but  he  shook  his  head 
and  continued.  "No  doubt  you  will  see  him  alive, 
that  is,  if  you  care  to,"  he  added,  looking  hard  in 
my  face.  "Never  mind,"  he  said,  quickly,  "I  see 
I  don't  know  how  to  treat  the  sick. 

"You  have  a  ready  tongue,  Sung-yo,  and  when 
the  machinery  of  the  upper  story  is  out  of  order, 
it  wags  industriously.  You  had  a  vast  amount  to 
say  about  hunchback,  slave  girl,  hermitage  and  'Run, 
Ewa,  run.'  Some  of  your  story  is  clear,  but  I  will 
wait  patiently  for  the  rest." 

This  he  said  in  his  energetic,  kindly  tone.  He 
reached  for  my  hand.  It  still  showed  the  marks  of 
toil.  Then  he  laughed,  one  of  those  delightful,  in 
fectious  laughs. 

"You  may  have  made  mistakes,  but  you  have 
tried  to  be  honest,"  he  said.  "It  is  a  strong  charac 
ter  that  chooses  poverty  and  distress  where  it  may 
have  wealth  and  comfort." 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  193 

I  felt  my  face  redden  with  shame,  for  I  knew  that 
my  voluntary  abasement  came  from  a  consuming 
passion,  and  not  from  an  unselfish  principle.  Thus 
had  I  left  my  father  to  suffer  over  my  supposed 
death. 

"Well,  well/'  he  said,  soothingly,  and  rose  to  go. 
"We  will  talk  later." 

I  watched  him  pass  out  of  the  building,  feeling 
that  the  surgeon's  knife,  that  had  so  often  brought 
a  groan  from  my  lips,  had  unconsciously,  in  Tong- 
siki's  hands,  been  thrust  into  a  vital  spot,  and  had 
uncovered  all  my  diseases.  I  closed  my  eyes  and 
Ewa's  face  looked  at  me,  then  was  I  angry  at  Tong- 
siki,  and  made  a  vow  down  deep  in  my  heart,  and 
I  asked  the  spirits  to  register  it.  "If  ye  are 
good,"  I  said,  "then  register  it  where  the  light 
streams  out  in  the  golden  beams  of  the  morning's 
dawn,  where  there  is  promise  of  hope  and  victory. 
If  evil,  then  register  it  in  the  underworld,  where 
darkness  holds  sway  and  shadows  run  riot,  where 
misery  is  king  and  all  his  realm  is  suffering.  Reg 
ister  my  vow,  you  shades  of  light  or  darkness.  I 
will  measure  my  will  with  fate.  I  shall  possess  her, 
whether  for  weal  or  woe." 

The  excitement  had  exhausted  me,  and  the  next 
day  I  wanted  to  remain  quiet,  and  I  lay  all  day  won 
dering  what  had  become  of  Ewa  and  old  Mayo. 

Ten  days  later  I  was  carried  to  a  boat  that  was 
moored  outside  of  the  great  East  Gate.  As  I  was 


194  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

carried  through  the  city,  I  noticed  that  half  of  it 
lay  in  ruins.  Few  troops  were  present,  and  only  a 
few  merchants  were  beginning  to  return.  The 
silence  was  oppressive.  Not  even  a  dog  barked  on 
the  streets. 

As  we  drifted  up  the  river  under  the  sturdy  pull 
ing  of  our  boatmen,  the  warm  October  sun  brought 
a  feeling  of  returning  life  and  gladness. 

Tong-siki  told  me  the  incidents  that  had  trans 
pired  since  we  had  parted  on  the  river  that  eventful 
day.  He  had  gone  to  the  capital  soon  afterward, 
on  business  for  my  father,  and  while  there,  had 
acquainted  himself  with  all  the  dissatisfied,  disgrun 
tled  politicians  and  had  listened  to  their  stories. 

"Few  there  were,"  he  said,  "who  seemed  to  have 
the  slightest  desire  for  reform.  Those  who  worked 
for  reform  did  so  like  anarchists  with  powder  and 
dynamite."  Finding  choice  spirits,  he  had  proposed 
his  ideas  of  a  combined  action  of  the  more  power 
ful  families  of  the  realm,  but  was  regarded  as  a 
dreamer. 

"Who,"  they  asked,  "being  secure  in  his  posses 
sions,  would  hazard  them  for  a  dream?  No,  no," 
they  said,  "if  reforms  are  necessary,  let  the  people 
rise  in  a  multitude  as  numerous  as  the  ants  in  an 
ant  hill  and  hurl  the  tyrant  from  his  throne.  Power 
lies  in  the  aggregation  of  many  atoms,  and  not  in  a 
few,  even  though  those  few  individuals  were 
strong." 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  195 

"All  this,"  Tong-siki  added,  "has  been  tried 
again  and  again  for  centuries,  and  even  since  our 
day  there  have  not  been  lacking  times  when  the  mob 
sought  rule  in  the  hope  of  reform.  There  is  not 
cohesive  force  enough  in  Korean  society  to  hold  it 
together  for  concerted  action,  nor  is  there  hon 
esty  enough  in  such  would-be  reformers  to  make  it 
safe  for  anyone  to  lead  an  organization  against  the 
government.  To-day,  they  are  ready  to  swear  fealty 
to  the  cause ;  to-morrow,  for  fear  of  those  in  power, 
they  are  anxious  to  betray  it  and  the  lives  of  their 
associates.  We  adorn  our  houses  and  every  way 
side  shrine  with  rags,  and  bow  down  to  them ;  but 
the  greatest  fetish,  worshiped  blindly  by  all  our 
people,  is  rank.  A  despised  beggar,  kicked  from 
beneath  one's  feet  to-day,  will  be  honored  to-mor 
row,  if  by  any  accident  he  receives  the  attention  of 
royalty. 

"While  in  the  capital  during  the  last  few  months, 
I  knocked  my  head  on  the  floor  to  more  fools,  more 
maudlin  drunkards,  more  empty  vanity  than  I  had 
supposed  the  country  contained.  To  wear  a  silk 
coat,  smoke  a  long  pipe,  grow  long  finger  nails,  to 
be  able  to  boast  of  moral  rottenness,  to  strut  on  the 
streets,  is  the  insatiable  ambition  of  the  multitudes 
of  the  capital.  While  boasting  of  being  experts  in 
political  intrigue,  they  are  neither  clever  nor  shrewd. 
Their  statesmanship  is  the  mediocrity  of  the  maud 
lin  drunkard.  When  a  vicious  political  scheme  is 


196  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

promulgated  and  put  into  operation,  no  one  is  sur 
prised,  for  before  it  gets  under  way,  all  understand 
it;  and  when  it  wrings  blood  from  the  people  the 
promulgator  is  praised  by  his  associates  for  his 
astuteness,  and  what  is  more  astonishing,  the  com 
mon  people  adore  him  for  his  power.  The  people 
crouch  before  these  tyrannical  fools  like  whipped 
dogs,  ready  to  turn  and  lick  their  hands  as  soon  as 
their  masters  snap  their  fingers  for  attention. 

"I  have  been  using  foreign  tobacco  to  get  rid  of 
the  nausea  of  the  capital.  The  tobacco  made  me 
sick  in  good  earnest,  but  I  felt  better  afterward." 
I  laughed  at  Tong-siki's  explosion,  but  he  looked 
out  over  the  river  without  a  smile. 

"Of  course  that  is  not  all,"  he  added.  "We  have 
a  few  great  men,  or  rather  men  with  great  capabili 
ties  who  are  earnestly  looking  forward  with  the 
expectation  of  doing  something  for  our  people,  but 
a  nation  moves  slowly.  If  the  present  conditions 
obtain  during  another  decade  our  independence,  for 
which  the  Japanese  are  so  fond  of  saying  they  have 
been  fighting,  will  be  the  independence  of  slaves." 
Lowering  his  voice,  he  continued : 

"My  country's  needs  fill  my  days  with  longings 
and  besiege  my  nights  like  a  beleaguered  city.  I  be 
lieve  I  am  experiencing  the  feelings  of  many  of  my 
countrymen  who  are  ready  to  give  up  home,  par 
ents,  wives,  children,  and  life,  also,  for  this  cause." 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  197 

I  searched  his  face  carefully,  but  the  noble  senti 
ment  that  had  inspired  his  words  left  no  sign  of  a 
secondary  meaning.  Yet  the  rebuke  stung  me  to 
the  quick. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  he  asked,  searching  me 
from  head  to  foot,  for  in  spite  of  me  the  flush 
deepened  over  my  face. 

"What  did  you  say  about  giving  up?"  I  asked, 
uneasily. 

He  laughed  heartily,  but  noticing  my  frown,  re 
plied  with  the  kindly  air  of  one  humoring  a  sick 
person : 

"You  think  women  may  be  a  help  in  our  struggle, 
do  you?  or  rather,  you  think  the  slave  girl  would 
help  you.  I  need  not  remind  you,"  he  continued  in 
an  amused  tone,  "of  the  status  of  our  women.  Do 
we  ever  think  enough  of  a  girl  to  give  her  a  name? 
A  woman  in  our  country  has  no  more  personality 
than  a  horse  or  an  ox." 

"You  forget  her  Majesty,"  I  said. 

"Quite  right,"  he  replied.  "If  we  could  all  marry 
queens." 

"But,"  I  persisted,  "could  not  a  good  woman 
who  is  in  sympathy  with  her  husband's  motives  be 
of  service,  even  in  this  great  cause?" 

"Perhaps  so,"  he  said,  wearily.  "If  he  has  not 
strength  and  courage  of  his  own,  of  what  worth 
would  such  a  man  be,  anyway?  The  land  is  full  of 
men  that  need  to  be  bolstered  up  by  women.  There 


198  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

are  many  who  have  little  more  vigor  than  an  oyster, 
and  the  vision  of  a  strong  woman  would  put  them 
to  flight." 

"Pity  we  have  not  one  of  the  sages  to  write  your 
tale  of  love.  We  hear  of  men  falling  in  love  with 
their  wives  after  they  have  a  family  prattling  at 
their  knees,  and  I  have  seen  men  enamored  by  danc 
ing  girls  and  become  victims  of  their  insane  imagi 
nation  in  other  ways,  but  I  never  heard  of  a  young 
man  falling  in  love  with  a  woman  who  was  a 
stranger,  much  less  a  slave,  and  follow  her  about, 
as  a  dog  his  master.  They  say  in  the  Western 
world,  where  they  boast  of  their  civilization,  that 
such  things  are  common ;  but  they  have  many  strange 
customs,  to  follow  which  is  little  less  dangerous 
than  drinking  their  wines." 

"Who  was  it,"  I  replied,  "that  advised  me  not  to 
marry  the  deformed  idiot  for  the  sake  of  gain? 
Who  was  it  that  encouraged  me  to  lay  aside  my 
habits  of  effeminacy  and  was  delighted  when  I 
cut  my  long  finger  nails?  Who  was  it  that  has 
grown  eloquent  in  declaring  that  all  classes  should 
be  equal,  and  if  I  have  shown  the  fruits  of  your 
doctrine,  why  do  you  complain?  If  I  am  ready  to 
follow  her  like  a  dog  his  master,  as  you  say,  and 
capable  of  giving  up  comforts  of  home,  hope  of 
rank,  becoming  a  coolie  and  offering  my  life  to 
satisfy  my  ambition,  does  it  argue  that  I  am  less 
capable  of  devoting  myself  to  any  cause,  great  and 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  199 

good?  Am  I  less  true  to  you  than  I  was  before 
knowing  her  ?  Have  I  refused  to  become  heir  to  my 
father's  estate  if  he  chooses  to  make  me  such?  and 
have  I  not  already  dedicated  it  all  to  our  cause  as 
well  as  my  influence  as  a  son  of  the  great  Sung-ji?" 

"Alas,  my  poor  boy!"  he  said,  "the  heirship  has 
already  passed  from  you  and  not  a  cash  of  the  estate 
could  you  get,  though  you  begged  on  your  knees 
for  it.  Your  father  heard  of  your  attachment  for 
the  slave  and  fixed  the  inheritance  upon  your 
brother,  where,  indeed,  it  naturally  belongs,  accord 
ing  to  our  custom.  So  that  if  you  are  to  be  of  aid 
in  the  great  movements  that  are  pending,  it  will  be 
because  of  your  own  personal  devotion.  I  could 
wish,  however,  that  you  had  united  with  some  pow 
erful  family  to  help  our  cause ;  yet  while  I  laugh  at 
you,  Sung-yo,  and  may  have  regrets,  I  shall  be 
your  friend,  and  we  shall  fight  and  win  on  the 
same  field." 

"Who  informed  my  father  of  my  whereabouts?" 
I  asked. 

"Ho-yongi  made  him  a  visit,  I  understand,  and 
your  brother  gave  him  some  money  for  his  disin 
terested  friendship. 

"During  the  battle  of  Pyeng-Yang,  Ho-yongi 
fled  with  the  governor ;  but  when  he  learned  that  the 
Japanese  did  not  seek  the  lives  of  Koreans,  he  re 
turned  and  tried  in  every  way  to  ingratiate  him 
self  with  the  Japanese  officials,  counseling  them  to 


200  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

squeeze  certain  persons  of  whose  secrets  he  was 
the  sole  possessor.  Not  waiting  for  their  action, 
he  did  a  little  of  that  work  on  his  own  account;  but 
hearing  that  the  Japanese  were  on  the  point  of  ap 
prehending  him,  he  found  it  convenient  to  visit 
your  father." 

"Did  he  tell  my  father  that  I  was  wounded?" 
"O,  no,  simply  that  you  were  searching  after  an 
ex-slave  with  whom  you  had  long  been  enamored, 
but  separated  from  by  the  accident  of  war.  He 
urged  your  father  not  to  think  too  hardly  of  you, 
as  your  youth  should  be  taken  into  consideration ; 
that  it  distressed  him  to  bring  such  ill  news,  but  he 
thought  it  was  due  so  loving  and  indulgent  a  father 
to  know  the  whole  truth;  that  there  were  many 
young  men  who  went  wrong  on  visiting  the  great 
cities  without  proper  associates  to  keep  them  right, 
not  that  he  wished  to  charge  the  much  trusted  Tong- 
siki  with  the  young  man's  fall,  but  great  care 
should  be  exercised,  Indeed,  if  his  Excellency 
would  pardon  one,  who  out  of  a  sense  of  duty  was 
ready  to  run  the  risk  of  making  himself  an  unwel 
come  visitor,  whose  one  motive  \vas  to  save  the 
great  man  from  imposition  and  sorrow,  he  would 
make  bold  to  speak  more  plainly.  When  his  Ex 
cellency's  son  was  in  Pyeng-Yang,  before  the  acci 
dent  on  the  river,  he  had  been  discovered  raiding 
the  women's  quarters  of  a  certain  inn,  led  by  his 
trusted  friend.  What  more  natural  thing  than, 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  201 

when  a  river  accident  made  it  possible  to  cause  it 
to  appear  that  he  was  lost,  for  him  to  join  his 
paramour  ? 

"  'Do  you  know  that?'  the  old  man  had  gruffly 
asked. 

"O,  no,  indeed;  he  would  not  say  a  word  to  give 
his  Excellency  a  moment's  uneasiness.  No  doubt 
it  was  all  report.  He  simply  said,  what  more  natu 
ral  thing  for  him  at  that  time  than  to  have  joined  the 
one  he  is  now  with  ?  He  would  go,  now  that  he  had 
thrust  himself  unwittingly  where  he  was  not  wanted. 
'Strange,'  he  added,  with  a  sigh,  'how  easy  it  is  to 
be  misunderstood.  One's  best  effort  of  disinterested 
solicitude  may,  at  best,  be  a  mistake.'  He  would 
leave. 

"After  repeated  protest  from  members  of  the 
family  he  consented  to  stay  a  week.  He  stated 
that  while  he  was  much  sought  after  by  the  Japanese 
officials  in  Pyeng-Yang,  yet  friendship  was  a  pre 
cious  plant  that  grew  not  in  every  yard,  and  in  these 
disturbed  times,  he  who  would  not  sacrifice  for 
friendship  deserved  to  be  classed  among  traitors. 
He  stayed  a  week,  then  two  weeks. 

"The  settlement  of  the  property  took  place  at  that 
time  and  he  became  very  friendly  with  your  brother, 
and  when  he  left,  it  required  a  pony  to  carry  away 
the  cash  he  had  on  hand.  No  one  seemed  to  know 
where  he  obtained  it,  for  when  he  arrived,  he 
brought  nothing." 


202  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"You  have  kept  these  things  from  me  a  long 
time,"  I  said. 

"No  longer  than  necessary.  If  I  had  told  you 
while  you  were  in  the  hospital,  you  never  would 
have  had  need  of  a  fortune,  and  if  I  had  told  you  be 
fore  leaving,  your  pride  would  have  prevented  your 
returning.  You  will  come  now  and  make  wrongs 
right  as  far  as  you  can,"  he  added  gently,  "but  the 
estate  of  course  is  beyond  you." 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE  NEW  FAITH 

DURING  the  following  afternoon  an  accident  hap 
pened  to  the  boat,  compelling  us  to  tie  up  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  inn  was  a  mile  away,  and  I  sur 
prised  myself  by  walking  the  whole  distance. 

When  we  arrived,  a  curious  commotion  was  tak 
ing  place  in  the  village.  People  were  hurrying  from 
all  directions  toward  a-  school  building  situated  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  town.  Someone  was  shouting. 
"Foreigner!  foreigner!  Let's  see  the  foreigner!" 

Teachers  of  the  new  religion  had  followed  closely 
on  the  footsteps  of  the  victorious  army,  and  here 
was  one  already  preaching  in  a  schoolhouse  many 
miles  from  the  open  ports. 

Our  curiosity  led  us  to  the  door,  and  Tong-siki 
made  an  opening  in  the  crowd  and  pulled  me  after 
him.  Sitting  down  in  the  doorway,  we  found  our 
selves  in  the  midst  of  a  great  crowd  of  jostling 
sightseers.  When  our  eyes  became  accustomed  to 
the  semidarkness,  caused  by  the  doors  and  windows 
being  filled  with  curious  persons,  and  the  tobacco 
smoke  from  the  industrious  occupants  of  the  floor, 
we  could  see  the  foreigner  seated  in  the  place  of 

honor,  the  hottest  part  of  the  schoolhouse  floor. 

203 


204  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

He  was  not  the  man  that  I  had  seen  in  Pyeng- 
Yang.  While  he  was  quite  as  tall,  his  hair  was 
light.  It  seemed  to  be  the  impression  of  many  pres 
ent  that  he  could  not  understand  Korean,  at  least 
there  was  little  said  that  was  complimentary.  His 
appearance  reminded  one  in  a  startling  manner  of 
our  old  ideas  of  the  appearance  of  his  Satanic  Maj 
esty.  His  light  complexion  with  a  red  cast,  caused 
by  the  heat  of  the  room,  and  very  light  hair  re 
minded  his  audience  humorously  of  the  imaginary 
figure  of  the  devil  often  drawn  on  screens  in  many 
of  our  homes,  and  it  was  not  surprising  that  the 
words,  "Foreign  devil,"  were  whispered  about  the 
room.  Those  sitting  nearest,  crept  closer  and  felt 
of  his  clothes,  hands,  and  feet,  and  repeatedly  asked, 
"Has  he  no  sense  ?  Can  he  talk  ?  Do  you  think  he 
would  teach  us  to  talk  American?"  It  was  evident 
that  he  was  waiting  for  their  curiosity  to  cease,  and 
presently  he  inquired  the  names  of  some  who  were 
sitting  nearest  him.  Others  he  had  met  before  and 
seemed  on  terms  of  good  understanding  with  them. 
When  he  spoke,  the  company  received  a  shock  of 
surprise  at  the  good  Korean  he  used.  Finally,  he 
asked  them  to  lay  aside  their  pipes  and  listen,  as  he 
had  something  of  importance  to  say.  He  observed 
that  many  were  standing  on  the  outside,  unable  to 
get  in ;  and  that  they  had  nearly  ruined  the  good 
teacher's  windows  and  doors  by  punching  holes 
through  them,  to  which  they  had  fixed  their  eyes. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  205 

"It  would/'  he  said,  "be  a  great  pleasure  if  they 
would  swing  all  the  doors  open  and  thereby  save 
them  from  further  ruin,  and  allow  all  on  the  out 
side  to  listen." 

I  am  glad  to  testify  to  the  courtesy  of  that  com 
pany  of  farmers  who  laid  aside  their  pipes,  a  mark 
of  respect  paid  only  to  officials. 

The  preacher  talked  a  great  deal  of  that  with 
which  I  have  since  become  familiar;  but,  at  that  time 
it  was  utterly  incomprehensible.  He  said,  among 
many  other  things,  all  men  were  sinners,  which  was 
the  work  of  the  evil  spirit.  In  response  to  the  state 
ment  a  titter  passed  among  his  listeners  because  of 
the  speaker's  likeness  to  that  spirit.  He  dwelt  long 
on  the  power  of  a  supreme  being  called  Yasu,  who 
had  once  been  a  human  being  and  had  died  to  save 
men.  My  curiosity  had  not  been  less  than  that  dis 
played  by  others,  and  I  stared  fixedly  at  the  face  of 
the  strange  apparition. 

When  he  closed  the  talk,  arrangements  were  made 
for  him  to  eat  his  supper.  That  was  the  most  fasci 
nating  part  of  the  whole  proceeding.  Tong-siki  im 
mediately  withdrew,  but  I  stayed.  We  were  not 
aware  of  any  rudeness;  so  there  we  waited  and 
stared  at  the  man,  his  table  of  food,  much  of  which 
he  had  brought  with  him,  at  the  fork  he  used,  fol 
lowing  it  with  our  eyes  as  he  conveyed  it  to  his 
mouth,  watched  him  as  he  moved  his  lips,  wondered 
what  his  food  was  like,  and  if  it  tasted  good.  Pres- 


206  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

ently,  he  threw  back  his  head  and  laughed  heartily, 
and  we  all  responded  with  a  foolish  grin. 

"Dear  friends,"  said  he,  "I  like  to  have  you  look 
at  me.  I  know  I  am  a  strange  creature  among  you, 
and  I  want  you  to  see  all  I  do,  but  while  you  are 
gazing  will  you  not  please  wink  once  in  a  while  ?" 

I  felt  ashamed  and  a  little  shocked  as  if  someone 
had  rudely  awakened  me  from  a  pleasant  dream,  and 
I  was  dissatisfied  with  the  man  and  disliked  his  light 
hair  and  red  face.  He  had  announced  that  there 
would  be  another  gathering  in  the  evening;  and 
would  everybody  come?  I  resolved  at  first  not  to 
go,  but  afterward  thought  better  of  it,  and  when 
the  candles  were  lighted  found  myself  seated  on  the 
floors  at  one  end  of  the  building,  with  Tong-siki  at 
my  side.  To  my  utter  amazement,  one  half  of  the 
building  was  filled  with  women  without  a  screen 
separating  them  from  the  men.  The  room  was  filled 
with  serious  people.  On  the  outside,  however,  the 
sightseers  swarmed  and  jostled  at  the  doors.  Dur 
ing  the  long  discourse  that  followed,  he  spoke  with 
great  force  and  assurance,  and  moved  his  hands  in 
gesticulation  that  held  our  attention  with  mesmeric 
power.  He  was  pleading  as  if  it  were  for  our  lives 
before  a  judge  who  had  condemned  us.  The  speak 
er's  eyes  were  even  filled  with  tears,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  long,  impassioned  appeal,  he  called : 

"Yasu  will  give  you  life,  life,  life !"  The  company 
swayed  back  and  forth  with  the  steadiness  of  a 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  207 

pendulum,  denoting  the  profoundest  absorption. 
"Believe  Yasu,  and  to-night,  you  will  have  the  gift  of 
eternal  life,"  said  he.  An  old  man  seated  behind  me 
bent  his  head  on  my  shoulder  and  began  to  sob  as  if 
he  had  lost  his  nearest  friend,  or  rather,  more  like  a 
child  crying  for  his  mother.  Others  followed  him 
rapidly,  and  to  my  utter  bewilderment,  the  whole 
company  were  soon  bowed  to  the  floor,  weeping  as  if 
their  hearts  would  break.  Tong-siki  and  I  alone 
sat  up  and  seemed  miserably  out  of  place.  I  glanced 
at  Tong-siki.  On  his  face  was  the  gravity  of  a 
Buddha.  A  delirium  of  ecstacy  took  possession  of 
many  present.  They  stood  on  their  feet  and  de 
clared  that  the  Yasu  was  within  them,  and  recount 
ing  all  their  horrible  crimes  against  themselves  and 
others,  declared  that  their  guilt  was  gone,  and  that 
they  loved  the  good.  Again  and  again,  someone 
would  say,  "Eternal  life  is  mine,  mine,  mine!" 

Tong-siki  touched  me  on  the  shoulder  and  we 
quietly  worked  our  way  out  of  the  door  and  returned 
to  the  inn.  Other  guests  were  lying  on  the  bare 
floor,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  we  were 
able  to  get  a  place  large  enough  for  us  both.  Tong- 
siki  made  no  remarks,  and  I  finally  stretched  myself 
out  for  the  night.  He  sat  there,  thoughtfully  gazing 
at  the  candle,  fingering  his  pipe  which  he  had  for 
gotten  to  light.  Thus  I  saw  him  later  in  the  night 
when  I  awoke,  with  the  light  and  shadows  playing 
hide-and-seek  across  his  handsome  face.  I  noted  his 


208  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

thoughtful  sincerity  and  I  warmed  to  him  with  the 
devotion  of  a  young  heart  to  its  hero.  Thus  I  see 
him  always  as  I  gaze  back  through  the  shadows  of 
events;  fearlessly  attacking  all  problems,  sometimes 
seeming  to  suffer  defeat,  but  never  flinching. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
HOME 

Two  days  later  we  landed  near  my  old  home,  and 
my  heart  was  full  as  I  looked  upon  old,  familiar 
scenes.  I  paused  on  the  bank  where  the  overhang 
ing  trees  had  often  shaded  me  as  a  boy,  in  my  gam 
bols  with  my  companions,  and  with  the  early  au 
tumn  breeze,  I  could  almost  hear  the  lute  of  old 
Mayo.  The  sun  brightly  warmed  the  path  leading 
from  the  river,  and  autumn  flowers  nodded  to  me 
everywhere.  The  brook  at  my  side,  which  for  many 
years  had  contended  with  the  path  for  the  right  of 
way,  sang  as  merrily  as  when  it  beguiled  me  with 
hook  and  line  long  ago.  How  my  heart  leaped  as  I 
caught  sight  of  the  old  home.  It  spread  out  in  the 
old  familiar  way,  like  a  great  hen  trying  to  cover  her 
brood  that  daily  grew  beyond  her  motherly  ambi 
tion. 

Laborers  who  had  been  my  playmates  in  child 
hood,  were  at  work  in  the  fields.  They  saw  us — one 
started,  then  another,  then  all  came  pellmell  to 
meet  us.  Tears  came  to  my  eyes  when  I  saw  that 
they  were  glad  to  meet  the  disinherited  and  dis 
graced  son  of  the  old  Sung-ji.  My  brother  came 
and  took  my  hand,  and  we  walked  together.  As  we 

209 


210  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

stepped  through  the  huge  outer  gate,  I  turned  and 
looking  into  his  face,  said :  "I  know,  it  is  yours,  and 
you  are  welcome."  He  dropped  his  eyes  and  said 
nothing. 

I  found  my  mother;  she  sat  down  with  me  and 
cried,  held  my  hand  and  patted  it,  looked  at  the 
marks  of  toil,  and  into  my  face  made  thin  by  sick 
ness,  then  touched  my  cheeks  with  her  fingers,  and 
cried  again.  She  took  off  my  rough  sandals  with 
her  own  hands,  and  as  she  laid  them  away,  caressed 
them.  She  ran  her  fingers  over  my  forehead  ten 
derly,  and  through  my  hair,  taking  note  that  it  had 
been  cut  short  by  the  surgeon  at  the  hospital.  Then 
she  murmured,  "Dear  Sung-yo !"  I  took  her  cheeks 
between  my  hands  and  held  her  eyes  to  mine. 

"Look,  mother,  what  do  they  tell  you?"  I  asked* 
"My  life  is  just  as  pure  and  my  hands  just  as  clean 
as  they  were  the  day  I  left  you." 

Then  I  told  her  the  whole  story  from  the  time  I 
had  parted  from  her  for  our  trip  to  Pyeng-yang, 
which  seemed  now  so  long  ago.  I  hid  nothing.  I 
showed  her  the  scar  in  my  side.  She  placed  her 
fingers,  on  it  and  cried  again.  All  that  was  noble  in 
me  responded  to  her  touch  and  tears. 

I  found  my  father  very  ill.  The  sorceress  had 
again  done  her  duty,  with  the  result  that  she  had  a 
well-filled  cash  box,  and  he  was  worse  for  the  wear 
and  noise.  He  was  bolstered  up  on  silk  cushions 
and  looked  so  thin  and  helpless  that  my  conscience 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  211 

smote  me  sorely  for  my  long  absence.  I  knelt  by  the 
side  of  his  bed,  and  he  spoke  to  me  in  the  old  tender 
tone,  and  as  I  looked  into  his  face  his  lips  twitched 
slightly,  and  in  his  weakness  tears  trickled  down  his 
cheeks. 

"Tong-siki  has  told  me,"  said  he,  "and  I  am  glad 
that  you  are  not  guilty  of  crime  against  the  name  of 
your  father." 

I  sat  by  his  side  the  rest  of  the  day  and  told  him 
of  my  escape  from  the  river,  the  sea,  and  the  terrors 
of  the  war.  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  tell  of  Ewa. 
My  mother  could  understand,  but  could  he  ?  Then, 
too,  he  was  weak,  and  would  it  not  cause  his  death  ? 
As  I  thought  the  matter  over,  I  grew  cowardly  and 
held  it  back.  He  spoke  with  some  heat  of  the 
snake,  Ho-yongi. 

"Wait,"  said  he,  "when  I  get  up  I  will  look  after 
him."  But  he  did  not  get  up.  "To-morrow,"  he 
would  say,  but  on  the  morrow  he  would  wait  for 
the  next  day. 

Finally,  after  a  long  consultation  with  Tong-siki 
he  called  my  brother  and  me  before  him.  We  duti 
fully  placed  our  heads  to  the  floor  in  salutation  and 
waited  for  him  to  state  his  will.  He  told  us  to  come 
nearer,  and  we  knelt  at  his  side.  Then  in  a  weak 
voice  which  sounded  so  strangely  unlike  him,  he 
told  us  of  his  life,  his  struggles,  and  his  triumphs; 
of  the  glorious  period  when  he  stood  at  the  side  of 
his  Majesty,  and  the  Korean  world  was  at  his  feet. 


212  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

His  eyes  sparkled  as  he  told  of  the  humiliation  of  his 
haughty  enemies  in  the  South  country. 

"But  alas!"  said  he,  "my  influence  has  been  wan 
ing  for  several  years,  and  now  that  the  war  has  revo 
lutionized  affairs  my  influence  at  the  court  has  gone. 
Some  of  my  enemies  have  suffered  with  me;  but 
there  are  many  waiting  for  me  to  enter  the  Yellow 
Valley  that  they  may  have  the  opportunity  to  seize 
all  I  have.  It  is  true  that  I  have  not  been  without 
faults,  and  there  may  be  some  who  have  grounds 
for  complaint,  but  they  will  make  a  mountain  out  of 
a  mole  hill."  Turning  to  my  brother,  he  said : 

"Chang-yo,  I  placed  the  property  in  your  hands 
some  time  ago.  So  it  must  remain.  You  can,  be 
cause  of  your  experience,  defend  it  better  than  your 
brother.  There  are,  however,  rice  lands  near  the 
city  of  Pyeng-Yang  which  yield  some  profit,  they 
will  go  to  Sung-yo.  Tong-siki,  our  faithful  friend, 
has  the  disposition  in  writing  under  my  seal.  Ob 
serve  my  commands  in  this  matter."  He  lay  think 
ing  awhile,  then  continued : 

"My  funeral  must  be  befitting  my  rank,  that  my 
enemies  may  not  scoff.  Bury  me  on  the  mountain 
by  the  side  of  your  grandfather,  a  place  already 
marked  by  the  necromancers,  promising  well  for  me 
and  fortunes  for  you.  Did  not  the  spirits  deal 
kindly  with  the  son  of  your  grandfather,  and  may 
they  not  deal  well  with  the  sons  of  your  father  also  ? 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  213 

'The  Yi  family  of  Chung- ju,  I  fear,  has  lost 
everything.  You  need  not  further  consider  that 
marriage,  Sung-yo.  Remember  my  commands. 
Your  mother  and  Tong-siki  have  this  matter  in 
hand,  and  will  arrange  a  proper  alliance  that  will 
bring  honor  to  the  family  name.  The  great  changes 
introduced  by  the  successful  Japanese  may  open  a 
way  for  governmental  preferment.  If  that  should 
be  the  case,  do  not,  simply  out  of  hatred  for  our  old 
enemies,  or  for  fear  of  a  struggle  with  them,  refuse 
to  take  advantage  of  any  such  opportunity.  Watch 
your  friends  and  your  enemies,  and  take  advantage 
of  every  means  to  firmly  establish  the  family  name, 
that  it  may  be  honored  through  all  time.  The  shades 
of  your  ancestors  are  looking  down  upon  you.  Do 
not  disappoint  them.'* 

That  night  when  the  rest  were  sleeping,  I  crept 
in  and  told  him  of  Ewa.  When  I  was  through  he 
turned  to  the  wall,  and  I  crawled  away  feeling  like 
an  assassin. 

Two  days  later,  there  was  weeping  throughout 
our  home,  weeping  that  could  be  heard  down  by  the 
river,  and  passing  boatmen  whispered  the  name  of 
Sung-ji.  Some  were  sad,  while  others  smiled,  to 
some  it  meant  the  loss  of  a  protector,  and  to  others, 
I  fear,  it  meant  release  from  oppression. 

We  followed  his  wishes,  and  the  funeral  was  an 
elaborate  one.  No  bier  in  the  neighborhood  was 
pretentious  enough,  so  we  had  a  new  one  built. 


214  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

Some  of  the  neighbors  said,  "that  which  was  good 
enough  for  the  father  ought  to  be  good  enough  for 
the  son."  Others  said  that  "when  the  pillars  of  a 
house  become  rotten,  men  always  put  new  tiles  on 
the  roof,"  meaning  that  we  were  making  a  show  to 
cover  our  poverty.  The  magistrate  expressed  his 
sympathy  by  sending  a  letter  of  condolence,  and  his 
runners  to  take  note  of  our  possessions.  The  latter 
seemed  to  augur  ill  for  our  future.  We  hired  a  hun 
dred  and  fifty  mourners  to  carry  the  largest  bier 
ever  constructed  in  the  North  country.  That  instru 
ment  consisted  of  two  long  timbers  over  which  was 
built  a  framework  covered  with  rich  silks,  painted 
with  gaudy  figures,  illustrating  the  mystic  forms  of 
our  ancient  religion. 

After  thirty  days  of  preparation,  we  took  our 
solemn  journey  to  the  mountain.  Some  of  those, 
whose  little  holdings  had  found  their  way  into  our 
estate  and  had  often  spoken  bitterly  of  my  father, 
were  there  to  help  carry  the  great  man  to  his  final 
resting  place.  A  line  of  hired  mourners  preceded 
the  bier  carrying  long  trailing  paper  lanterns  in 
gaudy  colors,  suspended  on  poles.  Immediately  in 
front  of  the  bier  marched  a  bell  ringer.  He  spun 
round  and  round  like  a  boy's  top,  frantically  ringing 
his  bell.  My  mother  wept  in  her  rooms,  for  women 
never  follow  their  loved  dead  to  the  grave.  At  the 
rear  of  the  procession  followed  my  brother  and  I 
in  palanquins,  and  behind  us  other  relatives  of  the 


SUNG-YO    DRESSED    IN    MOURNING    FOR    HIS    FATHER 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  215 

Sung-ji.  On  the  top  of  the  bier,  in  front  of  an 
awning,  sat  a  man  employed  to  give  directions  to 
the  company  of  mourners.  He  would  improvise  a 
stanza  of  doleful  sentiment  and  all  would  join  in 
and  chant  it  after  him ;  then  whenever  there  was  a 
pause,  the  time  would  be  filled  up  with  prolonged 
wailings  of  "I-go-o-o."  The  whole  country  re 
sponded  to  the  cries  of  mourning,  and  turned  out 
to  see  us  lay  away  the  remains  of  the  great  Sung-ji. 
Many  of  the  bearers  had  devoted  so  much  time  at  the 
shrine  of  Bacchus  that  they  were  unable  to  make 
the  whole  journey,  but  it  did  not  interfere  with  our 
progress  and  no  one  cared.  When  we  arrived  at  the 
mountain  side  preparations  for  the  burial  were  com 
pleted;  a  delay  occurred  because  from  fear  of 
the  dead,  the  laborers  were  drinking  and  quarreling 
as  if  high  altercations  were  the  best  expression  of 
homage  to  the  memory  of  the  greatest  man  who  had 
lived  during  a  period  of  three  centuries. 

We  had  gone  out  in  the  early  evening,  and  it  was 
still  dark  when  we  returned.  A  large  number  col 
lected  in  our  apartments  to  while  away  the  remain 
ing  hours  of  the  night,  that  we  might  not  have  to 
endure  the  terror  of  meeting  the  departed  spirits 
alone. 

The  family  had  dressed  in  the  coarse  hemp  of 
mourning,  and  was  conscious  of  special  politeness 
on  the  part  of  our  neighbors. 

Tong-siki  had  superintended  the  funeral  arrange- 


216  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

ments,  and  we  felt  grateful  for  the  order  and  com 
pleteness  with  which  all  things  were  carried  through. 
As  a  distant  relative  of  the  family  he  joined  the 
mourners,  but  seemed  apart  from  the  whole  scene, 
and  it  was  remembered  afterward  that  he  did  not 
join  in  the  loud  waitings,  though  his  eyes  were  red 
and  he  bore  the  expression  of  genuine  sorrow. 

The  ancestral  tablet  was  duly  erected  in  the  room 
where  my  father  had  died,  and  became  an  object  of 
reverence,  and  at  stated  periods,  it  was  worshiped. 
The  great  house  became  silent  and  lonely,  and  many 
of  the  hangers-on  left  when  they  found  that  the  hand 
that  had  so  long  fed  them  was  withdrawn. 

Tenants  announced  that  they  were  going  to  leave, 
secretly  hoping  to  secure  better  treatment  under  the 
new  regime.  Hardly  were  the  funeral  affairs 
settled  before  people,  suffering  real  or  imaginary 
wrongs,  united  to  demand  redress  and  compensa 
tion  for  losses  of  previous  years,  and  our  home 
seemed  to  be  tottering  about  our  ears.  The  figures 
which  they  named  were  astonishing.  They  found 
their  master  in  Tong-siki,  and  after  a  conference 
with  him  disbanded;  then  small  presents  streamed 
in  as  peace  offerings.  When  the  danger  had  passed, 
Tong-siki  visited  them  individually  and  made  care 
ful  inquiries  into  their  complaints.  He  satisfacto 
rily  righted  their  wrongs  with  a  small  fraction  of 
what  they  had  demanded.  The  act  amazed  the  peo 
ple,  and  they  repeated  to  each  other  ancient  stories 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  217 

of  justice  exercised  by  those  in  power.  Thus  wisely 
did  Tong-siki  secure  its  dues  to  the  estate,  retain 
the  regard  of  the  tenants,  and  in  great  measure  re 
dress  their  real  grievances. 

Tong-siki  turned  over  the  affairs  of  the  Sung-ji 
estate  to  the  proper  heirs.  My  brother  begged  him 
to  remain  and  administer  the  estate,  but  Tong-siki 
said  that  he  had  other  duties,  the  character  of  which 
would  endanger  the  safety  of  all  who  might  be  as 
sociated  with  him.  The  statement  was  repeated  by 
neighbors  and  they  revived  the  old  report  that  Tong- 
siki  was  a  dangerous  man,  and  some  day,  would 
head  a  revolt  against  the  government. 

We  had  laid  the  Sung-ji  to  rest,  but  his  control 
over  the  home  had  by  no  means  ceased.  All  our  ac 
tions  were  dictated  by  the  iron  hand  that  was  fast 
turning  to  dust.  His  control  was  felt  in  the  formal 
ities  of  our  home  life,  dictated  by  ancient  laws;  in 
the  vocabulary  of  those  who  addressed  us ;  we  could 
neither  travel  nor  engage  in  any  form  of  business. 
We  complied  cheerfully  with  these  laws,  but  the  cor 
roding  thought  that  Ewa  might  have  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  Japanese  soldiers,  and  that  I  was  pow 
erless  to  search  for  her,  gnawed  its  way  down  into 
my  soul,  making  me  miserable  and  uncompanion 
able. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  SEARCH 

THE  winter  passed,  and  vast  changes  were  an 
nounced  in  the  government.  The  old  abuses  were 
to  be  done  away  with.  The  magistrates  were  re 
called  from  the  interior,  and  other  men,  who  were 
supposed  to  take  the  changes  seriously,  were  put  in 
their  places.  Tong-siki  was  at  the  capital  in  the 
midst  of  the  new  political  activity,  not  as  an  official, 
but  studying  and  watching  the  trend  of  affairs. 

"It  seems  to  me,"  he  wrote,  "that  the  reforms  are 
on  the  surface,  and  from  his  Majesty  down  are  ac 
ceded  to  from  compulsion,  and  not  from  choice.  I. 
hope,  however,  that  the  new  spirit  will  get  such  a 
start  before  the  natural  reaction  takes  place,  that 
we  shall  be  able  to  weather  the  storm." 

Under  the  necessity  of  looking  after  our  rice 
fields,  the  iron  laws  of  mourning  were  allowed  to  re 
lax,  so  that  spring  found  me  back  in  the  city  of 
Pyeng-Yang.  By  selling  one  of  my  fields,  I  col 
lected  means  to  prosecute  the  search  for  Ewa.  In 
the  city  there  was  not  a  trace  of  her,  or  of  the  rich 
Yi.  Believing  that  she  would  seek  the  protection  of 
his  home,  and  knowing  that  he  had  made  friends 
with  the  governor,  I  concluded  that  they  could  be 

218 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  219 

found  at  the  capital.  Then,  changing  my  mind,  I 
made  a  trip  to  the  Chinese  border,  inquiring  in  every 
hamlet  for  information  of  the  old  minstrel  and  his 
young  companion;  but  the  people  having  been 
driven  from  their  homes,  had  only  returned  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  could  give  me  no  information 
regarding  them.  The  summer  was  well  advanced 
when  I  found  my  way  to  the  capital.  Cholera  was 
raging  in  the  city,  and  hundreds  had  already  been 
carried  out,  and  placed  among  multitudinous 
mounds  beyond  the  city  wall. 

I  found  Tong-siki  in  the  storm  center  of  the 
country,  and,  to  my  great  surprise,  among  conserv 
ative  statesmen  as  a  learner  and  an  instructor. 
Many  were  coming  to  this  rugged,  brainy  man  of 
the  North  for  counsel.  I  learned  that  the  country 
was  helpless  in  the  hands  of  its  old  enemy,  the 
Japanese.  They  had  taken  possession  of  the  army 
and  our  national  independence  was  threatened. 
While  they  introduced  many  reforms  which  seemed 
salutary,  yet  their  insidious  hand  of  greed  seemed 
to  be  closing  on  the  throat  of  our  national  life. 
Everywhere  Japanese  citizens  clashed  with  Koreans, 
always  to  the  confusion  and  rout  of  the  latter. 
Wherever  Korean  laborers  were  employed  in  gangs 
by  the  Japanese,  the  club  swung  and  blood  flowed 
freely,  and  my  people  were  the  victims.  Then  I 
knew  why  Tong-siki  had  become  a  conservative  re 
former.  I  found  him  living  with  a  man  by  the  name 


22O  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

of  Cho,  who  had  opened  his  large  house  for  the  re 
ception  of  such  officials  as  needed  a  quiet  place  from 
the  prying  eyes  of  the  enemies  of  reform.  He  occu 
pied  a  small  room  and  received  me  with  great  glad 
ness.  After  the  usual  salutations  and  kindly  inqui 
ries  he  said: 

"I  have  been  waiting  to  see  you  a  long  time ;  you 
have  come  opportunely  to  take  part  in  scenes  that 
will  be  epoch-making  in  the  history  of  this  country, 
and  perhaps  the  Eastern  world.  How  well  you 
look!"  said  he,  in  his  genial  way.  "What  inspired 
the  trip  ?  You  will  stay,  of  course,  and  take  part  in 
these  affairs." 

"That  depends,"  I  replied,  "whether  or  not  my 
interests  can  be  promoted  by  remaining." 

"Your  interests!"  he  ejaculated, — "ever  the 
same;  'my,  mine/ — is  the  curse  of  our  country. 
What  is  it  you  want  ?  A  magistracy,  governorship, 
or  perhaps  you  are  looking  for  a  place  in  his  Maj 
esty's  Cabinet  ?  You  are  not  the  only  one  ambitious 
and  lacking  modesty  as  to  fitness.  There  are  many 
who  are  willing  to  sacrifice  themselves  and  all  their 
remarkable  talents  to  the  good  of  the  country  if 
their  salary  is  sufficient,  but  I  had  not  known  that 
you  were  ready  to  add  your  wisdom  to  the  multi 
tude  of  advisers  who  are  daily  waiting  upon  his 
Majesty.  Have  you  found  any  trace  of  her?"  he 
abruptly  asked,  sobering  instantly  from  his  good- 
natured  raillery. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  221 

"No  ? — I  have  a  great  desire  to  see  her,'*  said  he, 
"she  certainly  must  be  remarkable.  You  say  a 
slave,  Sung-yo?  Tell  me  something  more  of  her. 
Are  you  really  still  determined?'*  His  face  was  all 
kindliness,  and  I  had  need  of  sympathy. 

"Of  her  beauty,  and  intelligence,  and  mental 
charms  I  have  nothing  to  say,  for  to  bring  my  idols 
and  place  them  at  another's  feet  is  not  to  invite  rev 
erence,  nor  am  I  expecting  anyone  to  see  through 
my  eyes,  not  even  so  sympathetic  a  friend  as  you, 
Tong-siki.  You  ask  if  I  am  still  determined?  A 
few  days  ago,  in  one  of  my  journeys,  faint  and  ex 
hausted,  I  threw  myself  on  the  ground  and  took 
from  my  bag  the  last  crumb  that  I  had,  and  as  I  nib 
bled  slowly,  that  it  might  last  the  longer,  a  tiny 
crumb  fell  to  the  ground,  and  immediately  an  ant 
not  larger  than  the  crumb,  seized  it  and  began  drag 
ging  it  to  its  home.  Hardly  had  it  started  before  it 
was  pounced  upon  by  a  larger  specimen  of  the  ant 
tribe,  then  a  battle  royal  began.  They  fought  till  at 
last  the  large  adversary  lay  still  on  the  sand.  I 
watched  the  victor  crawl  back  to  the  crumb  and  lie 
down  by  the  side  of  it,  dead.  In  this  insect  tragedy, 
Tong-siki,  I  took  courage  and  shall  fight  on,  and 
shall  possess  her,  though  death  should  be  the  crown 
of  my  victory.  I  have  sought  her  over  hills  and 
across  plains,  through  heat  and  cold,  and  always 
her  voice  has  beckoned  me  on.  In  the  lights  and 
shadows  her  form  always  just  eluded  my  grasp.  It 


222  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

was  ever  just  over  the  next  hill,  just  across  the  next 
plain.  Ah!  Tong-siki,  do  you  know  aught  of  her 
and  the  rich  Yi,  or  of  old  Mayo?"  I  had  leaned  for 
ward  and  was  looking  into  his  eyes,  and  when  he 
spoke  it  was  with  great  gentleness. 

"No,  Sung-yo;  I  have  heard  nothing.  You  will 
win.  But—" 

"But,  what?"  I  asked. 

''There  is  something  nobler,  of  which  you  have 
not  thought."  Again  he  paused. 

"I  am  listening,"  I  replied. 

"You  are  battling  for  the  sake  of  personal  grati 
fication.  If  it  were  for  a  principle,  how  much  more 
noble !  Then  you  would  renounce  your  present  pur 
pose,  and  fight  down  the  passion,  and  become  worthy 
to  be  a  leader  of  our  people.  To  live  for  one's  self 
is  a  passion  of  the  generation.  Think,  Sung-yo,  the 
multitudes  here  are  like  the  swine  at  the  feeding 
troughs.  They  have  never  learned  the  lessons  of 
our  ancestors,  nor  those  which  their  better  nature 
dictates.  Renunciation,  Sung-yo,  is  a  doctrine  of 
the  ancient  masters.  Do  you  not  remember  the 
Christians'  meeting?  Did  not  the  Westerner  urge 
renunciation?  They  have  improved  upon  our  phi 
losophy  of  'self-repression'  and  command  devotion 
to  the  good  of  others.  The  needs  of  the  times  show 
their  teachings  true.  The  times  demand  activity 
and  strenuous  zeal  till  the  heart  throbs  in  a  consum 
ing  passion  for  others.  You  wear  your  life  thread- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  223 

bare  to  satisfy  a  passion,  and  who  is  the  better  ?  The 
girl  ?  Who  is  able  to  say  so  ?  Yourself  ?  You  may 
become  satisfied,  but  that  does  not  argue  that  you 
would  be  better.  I  am  not  asking  you  to  repress  the 
eagerness  of  your  nature.  I  have  learned  better 
than  to  do  so,  but  I  would  see  it  turned  into  other 
channels  that  it  might  bless  many  in  need. 

"I  have  been  studying  the  secret  of  success  of  the 
Western  nations.  Their  spirit  I  may  not  have 
learned  any  better  than  those  nations  have  learned 
ours,  but  the  closer  I  observe,  certain  facts  become 
more  clearly  interpreted.  While  many  of  them  are 
here,  professedly,  for  friendly  trade,  they  show  a 
passion  for  our  exploitation  and  treat  us  with  con 
tempt.  I  do  not  say  that  the  Western  people  are 
great,  for  I  know  them  only  as  aliens  and  my  judg 
ment  may  be  influenced  by  prejudice.  Greatness  in 
cludes  generosity,  civility,  politeness,  all  of  which 
they  lack;  but  their  national  ideal  is  sacrifice  and 
their  heroes  have  lived  it.  It  is  this  fact  that  has 
made  them  free  and  powerful. 

"Think  of  the  millions  of  our  countrymen  who, 
under  official  oppression,  are  no  better  than  slaves. 
Think  of  that  foreign  island  race,  whom  we  once 
despised,  suddenly  becoming  powerful,  daily  treat 
ing  us  with  contempt  and  insult,  even  while  profess 
ing  to  be  our  friends,  denying  us  the  consideration 
due  a  foe.  Think  of  the  puerility  of  our  statesman 
ship.  We  want  men,  Sung-yo ;  men." 


224  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

He  spoke  with  great  earnestness  and  reminded 
me  of  a  mountain  torrent,  not  by  its  noise,  but  by 
its  potential  force. 

"Our  philosophy  is  not  widely  different,"  I  re 
plied.  "It  is  strange  to  me  that  I,  in  pausing  to 
pluck  this  wild  flower,  should  fall  behind  in  the  race, 
or  become  less  fit  to  join  you  in  the  great  work  of 
reform.  Why  should  my  zeal  for  your  cause  be  a 
whit  less  ?  If  you  are  hungry,  you  eat  that  you  may 
have  strength  for  heavy  duties.  If  I  have  a  passion 
of  love,  I  must  satisfy  it  that  I  may  have  heart 
sinew  to  battle  for  the  unselfish  ends  of  which  you 
speak.  On  the  other  hand,  think  not,  Tong-siki, 
that  I  am  utterly  selfish;  would  I  not  die  for  her? 

"You  have  told  me  little  of  your  early  years,  and 
slow  would  I  be  to  walk  roughshod  into  the  quiet  of 
your  past ;  but  if  at  that  time  you  fell  a  victim  to  our 
ancient  customs  by  having  a  bride  chosen  for  you, 
one  whom  you  had  never  seen,  of  course  you  loved 
her  not ;  though  I  am  far  from  saying  that  the  mem 
ory  of  her  grave  is  not  tender,  would  it  be  presump 
tuous  for  me  to  infer  that  you  are  a  stranger  to  the 
most  holy  of  all  passions,  and  its  ennobling  power, 
and  in  that  case,  incompetent  to  judge  in  this  mat 
ter?  As  for  the  matter  of  sacrifice — if  I  were  as 
sured  that  renunciation  would  work  her  a  benefit, 
then  would  I  search  for  her  no  more.  If  sacrifice 
has  a  subjective  benefit  by  fitting  one  for  public 
duties  could  you  ask  more?  Think  of  what  her 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  225 

helpfulness  would  mean — "  then  I  paused,  remem 
bering  what  a  slave-wife  would  mean  in  Korean 
society. 

Tong-siki  called  loudly  to  a  servant  to  bring  our 
rice,  generously  covering  my  confusion.  The  serv 
ant  appearing  with  the  tables,  put  an  end,  for  a  time, 
to  further  conversation  on  that  subject. 

"It  is  probable,"  he  added,  after  a  while,  "that  if 
the  rich  Yi  were  in  the  city  he  would  have  made  his 
presence  known,  for  if  my  information  regarding 
his  history  is  correct  he  has  been  one  of  those  who 
have  an  itching  palm  for  official  preferment.  If  he 
were  here,  unless  hiding  for  some  crime,  he  would 
try  to  take  advantage  of  the  reform  movement  to  get 
into  power.  Fortune  seems  to  be  a  facetious  god 
dess,  surprising  the  Outs  and  sometimes  the  lowly 
by  putting  them  in,  and  hurling  the  Ins  out." 

"Would  Yi  figure  as  a  reformer?"  I  asked. 

"O !  no,  indeed.  How  refreshing  your  innocence 
is !  Do  you  think  questions  of  reform  mean  any 
thing  to  these  garbage  eaters?  If  he  is  in  the  city 
he  must  be  laying  deep  plans,  and  feels  that  his 
future  is  secure,  otherwise  we  would  have  heard 
from  him.  He  must  have  other  resources  than  the 
friendship  of  the  governor,  for  that  gentleman  is 
much  in  disgrace  for  not  obeying  his  Majesty 
during  the  persecution  of  which  you  and  I  were 
witnesses.  I  advise  you  to  begin  combing  the  city, 
feeling  assured  that  you  will  start  any  quantity  of 


226  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

vermin.  No  doubt  from  the  mass  you  will  recog 
nize  your  enemy,  or  should  I  say  friend?  I  myself 
will  keep  a  lookout  for  this  excellent  gentleman.  I 
can  make  public  inquiries,  while  you  had  better  work 
on  the  sly,"  he  added,  rising  and  adjusting  his  hat, 
and  left  me  without  a  hint  of  how  I  should  begin. 
My  heart  was  warmed,  for  I  knew  that  Tong-siki 
would  indeed  search  the  city,  as  it  were,  with  a  fine- 
toothed  comb. 

For  days  I  stood  at  the  gate  of  the  palace,  until  I 
knew  the  names  of  every  official  who  entered  and  re 
turned,  and  learned  much  of  their  history  and  hab 
its.  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  servants  of 
many  wealthy  people  and  those  of  rank,  and  joined 
in  their  gossip,  hoping  to  gain  the  information  I 
sought.  Mornings  I  started  out  with  high  hopes, 
and  nights  returned  dejected.  Tong-siki  greeted 
me  each  day  with  hearty  cheerfulness,  and  deftly  led 
our  conversation  away  from  the  subject  which  bur 
dened  my  mind,  and  was  delighted  when  I  talked 
glibly  of  the  court  officials,  their  habits  and  move 
ments.  He  seemed  determined  to  hear  nothing 
about  the  slave,  and  I  respected  his  wishes,  knowing 
that  he  was  not  insensible  to  my  feelings. 

When  he  told  me  of  his  indefatigable  efforts  to 
form  an  association  of  the  privileged  class,  who 
would  stand  together  against  both  the  Japanese  and 
the  party  who  were  ready  to  sell  Korea's  best  inter 
ests  for  personal  gain,  I  was  amazed  at  his  prodi- 


EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  227 

gious  labors.  At  one  time  he  would  have  a  follow 
ing  that  seemed  to  promise  great  things;  and  at 
another  time  all  would  leave  him,  and  he  would 
again,  with  infinite  patience,  labor  on  to  win  them 
back  to  his  purpose.  Again  and  again,  with  pro 
found  faith  in  his  countrymen,  he  would  lay  before 
them  the  ideals  of  reform  and  pure  government, 
only  to  see  the  edifice,  when  on  the  point  of  com 
pletion,  crumble  beneath  his  hands.  They  were 
ready  to  organize  and  make  ventures  for  gain,  but 
not  for  sacrifice.  They  loved  their  wealth  and  ease 
too  dearly  to  jeopardize  them  in  any  scheme  for  re 
form.  Still  Tong-siki  labored  on — he  made  friends 
and  many  enemies.  A  position  in  the  government 
service  was  offered  him  with  the  hope  that  he  would 
be  satisfied,  but  this  he  declined. 

On  several  occasions,  by  making  friends  of  offi 
cials'  servants,  I  entered  the  palace  grounds  and 
familiarized  myself  with  the  location  of  the  build 
ings  and  their  occupants,  but  my  search  was  fruit 
less.  At  the  end  of  weeks  of  searching  I  returned  to 
Tong-siki  one  evening,  more  discouraged  than  I 
had  ever  been,  resolving  that  I  would  quit  the  search 
in  the  city  and  journey  north  across  the  Chinese  bor 
der,  where  rumor  had  it  that  many  of  the  Korean 
refugees  had  fled  after  the  battle  of  Pyeng-Yang. 

As  I  entered  our  room,  Tong-siki  was  sitting  on 
his  mat,  soberly  looking  over  a  roll  of  paper,  wrink 
ling  his  brow  in  perplexity,  and  so  absorbed  was  he 


228  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

that  he  took  no  notice  of  my  entrance.  For  some 
time  I  watched  him  gaze  at  the  outside  of  the  roll, 
as  if  he  expected  to  solve  a  mystery  from  its  polished 
surface.  Presently  he  glanced  up  and  smiled  a 
welcome,  then  turned  to  the  contemplation  of  the 
roll  of  paper. 

"The  empty  mind  and  a  blank  book,"  I  observed, 
quoting  one  of  our  classics. 

"Yes?"  said  he,  absently  laying  the  roll  in  his 
open  palm,  "this  is  one  of  the  many  I  have  received 
during  the  last  month,  and  that  fact  robs  this  one  of 
much  importance — rumors,  only  rumors." 

"What  rumors?" 

"Nothing  new,"  he  replied.  "Since  I  have  been  in 
Seoul  I  have  heard  of  little  but  insurrections  and  re 
bellions  originating  within  the  capital,  and  again 
out  in  the  country,  murder  of  members  of  the  cabi 
net,  regicide,  violence  and  bloodshed,  always  and  in 
cessantly.  Come  here,"  he  added,  "these  walls  have 
more  ears  than  can  be  found  in  a  drove  o£  donkeys, 
or  at  the  national  examinations.  Beneath  every  pair 
of  ears  wags  an  industrious  tongue,  you  know. 
Look  here!"  said  he,  lowering  his  voice  to  a  point 
more  difficult  to  hear  than  a  whisper.  "I  hold  in  my 
hand  supposed  information  of  a  plot  against  the 
lives  of  members  of  the  royal  family,  and  for  the 
extinction  of  the  present  dynasty.  It  incriminates 
the  most  powerful  men  in  the  realm,  and  also  the 
Japanese  Minister.  I  think  it  is  a  canard,  yet  if 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  229 

certain  officials  knew  that  I  had  such  a  communica 
tion  in  my  possession,  it  would  cost  me  my  head. 
I  might  not  object  to  losing  so  valuable  a  part  of  my 
anatomy,  if,  in  doing  so,  I  could  do  any  definite 
good.  I  do  not  know  from  whom  this  communica 
tion  comes.  It  was  slipped  into  my  hand  while  I 
was  passing  out  of  the  palace  grounds  about  two 
hours  ago.  It  is  a  specimen  of  a  great  many  that 
have  come  to  me  in  circuitous  ways,  but  have  proved 
utterly  groundless  suspicions.  The  burden  of  the 
letter  is,  that  the  father  of  the  King  purposes  to 
secure  the  aid  of  the  Japanese,  or  rather  become  the 
tool  of  the  Japanese  Minister,  for  the  destruction 
of  the  Queen,  and  perhaps  the  whole  royal  family. 
That  the  old  regent  would  be  ready  to  dispose  of  the 
Queen  who  has  long  stood  in  his  way,  is  evident,  but 
that  he  should  want  to  destroy  the  dynasty  is  ab 
surd  ;  that  the  Japanese  should  contemplate  so  enor 
mous  a  crime  is  unthinkable,  especially  as  their  in 
fluence  here  depends  upon  winning  the  good  will  of 
our  people.  The  moment  that  they  should  try  to 
lay  hands  on  the  persons  of  their  Majesties,  Japan's 
influence  is  destroyed,  and  only  by  the  force  of  arms 
could  she  hope  to  control  our  affairs.  The  contents 
of  this  roll,  I  think,  are  simply  the  vaporings  of  a 
diseased  mind.  How  morbidly  our  people  dream !" 
he  added,  as  he  lighted  a  match  and  touched  it  to  the 
roll  of  paper.  He  then  gazed  at  the  black  mass  and 
scowled  at  it  as  if  still  trying  to  wrench  from  the 


230  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

smoke  information  of  the  alleged  plot.  Plainly,  in 
spite  of  his  assuring  words,  he  was  not  at  ease.  He 
watched  the  last  ring  of  smoke  curl  lazily  upward, 
and  then  looked  me  over  quizzically,  and  his  next 
words,  for  a  time,  drove  utterly  from  my  mind  the 
threat  contained  in  the  charred  roll. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "I  have  seen  your  friend,  the  rich 
Yi." 

"Seen  him !"  I  gasped. 

"I  saw  him  coming  from  the  palace  grounds,"  he 
added,  looking  me  over  with  the  air  of  a  connois 
seur.  "He  was  in  company  with  a  eunuch  and  a 
palace  official  with  whom  I  have  a  slight  acquaint 
ance;  indeed,  I  had  found  track  of  him  two  days 
ago,  and  to-day  I  stood  a  long  time  at  the  palace  gate 
waiting  for  his  appearance.  I  had  urgent  business 
away,  but  remembering  your  foolish  ambition  and 
pinings,  called  upon  my  stock  of  patience.  When 
they  appeared,  I  joined  them,  and  by  dint  of  insinu 
ations,  made  myself  known  to  Mr.  Yi.  He  seems 
to  be  gazing  high.  He  carried  his  chin  on  an  angle 
with  the  rafters  of  the  houses;  his  stride  is  not  ex 
celled  by  the  most  artistic  strutter  in  the  capital ;  he 
steps  high  with  stiffened  knees  and  glances  along 
the  line  of  his  flat  nose ;  as  he  expands,  the  rotundity 
of  his  fat  body  is  enough  to  paralyze  the  presump 
tion  of  any  young  man.  Certain  it  is  that  if  the 
poor,  helpless  Emperor  should  once  get  a  view  of 
this  impressive  piece  of  dignity,  he  would  be  un- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  231 

able  to  resist  it.  Royal  rank  would  be  compelled  to 
protest  its  unworthiness,  and  hasten  to  crown  him 
with  all  possible  honors.  He  seemed  surprised  that 
I  was  not  overcome  with  his  importance,  and  I  fear 
I  pricked  a  good  deal  of  his  vanity  by  asking  him  of 
many  of  his  poor  relations,  and  how  they  got  along 
with  their  paddyfields.  I  was  particularly  solicitous 
of  the  one  who  fell  from  the  back  of  his  bull  some 
time  ago.  Of  course  I  did  not  know  that  any  of  his 
friends  had  been  injured  from  such  a  fall,  but  I 
knew  that  he  certainly  did  not  know  that  there  had 
not  been  such  an  accident.  He  looked  uneasily  at 
his  companions  and  tried  to  talk  of  something  else. 
So  effectually  did  I  prick  his  pride  that  he  almost 
forgot  his  strident  step,  and  excusing  himself  from 
his  companions  asked  me  to  his  palanquin.  Of 
course  I  was  properly  and  politely  appreciative  of 
his  special  regard  for  my  company,  and  my  mem 
ory  of  your  needs  led  me  to  accept  the  forced  invi 
tation  to  follow  him  to  his  home.  While  I  protested 
and  begged  to  be  excused  from  imposing  myself 
upon  his  company,  words  that  he  struggled  to  recall 
fell  from  his  lips  repeating  his  invitation.  I  think  I 
have  never  met  anyone  who  so  heartily  hated  me, 
and  at  the  same  time  protested  pleasure  in  a  new 
found  friendship.  I  left  him,  after  an  hour's  con 
versation,  in  a  room  filled  with  tobacco  smoke,  his 
hat  and  mangun1  off,  one  sleeve  pushed  above  his  el- 

1 A  headband  of  horse  hair  or  bamboo 


232  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

bow,  the  other  hanging  pathetically  over  his  hand, 
suggestive  of  the  struggle  he  had  had  to  fight  with 
one  hand  while  yielding  a  surrender  with  the  other. 
I  never  took  quite  so  much  delight  in  wringing  and 
twisting  the  affairs  of  a  man  from  him  before.  I 
hurled  Confucian  platitudes  at  him,  until  he  grunted, 
and  groaned,  and  nodded  "yes"  at  things  he  wished 
he  had  studied  when  young,  but  did  not  care  to  say 
so.  I  hinted  of  knowledge  I  possessed  of  court  life, 
and  of  power  I  held  in  my  hands,  till  he  was  on  the 
point  of  making  friends;  then  I  got  in  blows  on  his 
humble  origin  until  he  fell  almost  into  a  heap.  As 
his  dignity  left  him,  I  fear  that  mine  began  to  bris 
tle  up  under  a  pair  of  glasses  which  I  keep  about  me 
for  special  occasions.  At  last  his  pomposity  utterly 
left  him,  and  he  meekly  asked  me  if  I  could  help  him 
in  a  plan  he  had  launched.  He  gave  me  some  in 
formation  and  I  twisted  his  topknot,  figuratively 
speaking,  until  I  found  what  I  was  after.  Eunuchs, 
I  observed,  are  very  good  tools  for  some  kinds  of 
service,  but,  in  general,  he  had  better  leave  them 
alone.  He  at  last  told  me  that  he  had  a  beautiful 
daughter  whom  he  had  placed  in  the  hands  of  an 
influential  eunuch  to  train  for  service  in  the  royal 
court,  as  he  believed  a  vacancy  would  soon  result 
from  the  death  of  an  invalid  palace  woman.  I  asked 
him  on  what  he  relied  for  success. 

"  'Of  course/  said  he,  'I  have  remembered    the 
man  well  in  a  substantial  way,  and  have  promised 


EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  233 

more,  but  most  of  all,  I  depend  upon  the  girl's 
beauty  and  brilliancy  of  mind.  If  he  is  able  to  bring 
her  to  the  attention  of  the  Queen,  I  have  little  fear 
of  the  results.' 

"I  asked  if  his  daughter  had  any  objection  to 
going.  He  replied,  that  when  he  told  her  that  she 
had  the  choice  of  going  or  of  becoming  the  concu 
bine  of  a  certain  old  man,  she  consented  to  go,  and 
left  in  a  glad  spirit." 

"But,"  said  I,  as  soon  as  Tong-siki  paused, 
"Ewa,  the  slave  girl,  what  of  her?  Did  you  wring 
anything  from  him  regarding  her?" 

Tong-siki  looked  me  over  for  a  minute  and  then 
added,  "Who  do  you  think  the  certain  old  man  is, 
and  who  do  you  think  is  his  daughter?" 

"O !"  said  I,  and  never  before  in  all  my  madden 
ing  search  did  she  seem  so  far  from  me.  I  had  a 
thousand  times  rather  run  the  gauntlet  of  the  Jap 
anese  terrible  inurata  and  take  the  chances  with 
Ewa,  than  attempt  her  rescue  from  the  guarded  pal 
ace  enclosure.  The  chances  for  success  with  the 
former  seemed  a  certainty  compared  with  the  latter. 

When  the  evening  meal  was  brought  in,  I  pushed 
it  from  me  and  vacantly  studied  the  mat  at  my  feet. 

"When  and  where  does  the  raid  take  place?"  I 
asked,  a  sudden  thought  bringing  me  to  my  feet. 

"To-morrow  night  at  the  Kang-wha  gate,"  he 
replied,  looking  at  me  inquiringly. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
UNDER  ARREST 

LATE  in  the  evening,  I  slipped  out  of  the  door, 
and  when  I  looked  back  at  Tong-siki,  he  was  still 
studying  the  roll  of  charred  paper,  his  brow  knit  in 
a  frown.  A  gust  of  wind  from  the  open  door  sent 
the  ashes  whirling  about  the  room  and  he  followed 
them  with  his  eyes,  while  the  shadows  deepened  in 
his  handsome  face. 

I  made  my  way  to  the  gate  that  Tong-siki  had 
named,  led  there  by  a  feeling  of  intolerable  restless 
ness  and  misery.  I  stood  for  a  long  time  looking  at 
the  palace  wall  till  I  heard  the  great  city  bell  toll  the 
curfew,  and  still  I  gazed,  until  the  moon  sank  in 
the  west  and  the  darkness  hid  the  wall  from  view. 
She  lived  and  breathed  beyond  it  somewhere.  What 
were  her  surroundings  ?  and  to  what  had  she  already 
fallen  a  victim?  were  the  questions  that  seized  and 
maddened  me. 

Suddenly,  I  was  aware  of  the  approach  of  some 
one  between  me  and  the  gate,  others  followed  and  a 
conversation  was  carried  on  in  a  low  tone.  Some 
one  cautiously  turned  the  light  against  the  wall  and 
gate.  I  crept  close  upon  them  wondering  at  the 
absence  of  the  guard,  then  I  recognized  the  guard 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  235 

with  the  lantern,  and  a  dozen  other  uniformed  men. 
Presently  the  light  fell  upon  the  face  of  a  Japanase 
official.  The  plot  reported  to  Tong-siki  flashed 
through  my  mind,  and  I  turned  to  creep  away  with 
the  intention  of  informing  him.  I  had  nearly  re 
gained  the  friendly  shelter  of  a  house,  when  the 
lantern  was  turned  full  upon  me;  and  in  a  moment 
I  was  seized  by  a  dozen  men  in  Japanese  uniform. 
At  a  word  from  one  who  seemed  to  be  in  authority, 
they  released  their  rough  hold,  and  I  was  placed  in 
their  midst. 

What  was  I  doing  skulking  around  the  palace 
gates  ?  Did  I  not  know  that  such  actions  were  trea 
son,  and  treason  meant  death  ?  They  had  been  look 
ing  for  just  such  fellows  as  I,  and,  now  that  they 
had  found  me,  they  ought  to  make  an  example  of 
me. 

"Kill  him!"  said  the  peevish  voice  of  a  country 
man  of  mine,  and  I  thought  I  recognized  in  the 
voice  an  old  man  whom  I  had  once  heard  speak  at 
the  home  of  one  of  the  highest  officials  in  the  land ; 
in  it  I  recognized  none  other  than  the  ex-regent  of 
Korea. 

The  ludicrousness  of  the  king-regent  standing  as 
watchman  outside  of  the  city  gate  caused  me  to 
laugh  outright.  In  an  instant,  a  hand  was  slipped 
over  my  mouth  and  my  hands  were  bound  behind 
me.  A  consultation  was  carried  on  beyond  my  hear 
ing.  Presently  there  was  a  pull  at  my  sleeve,  and  I 


236  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

was  hurried  on  and  told  to  make  no  noise.  When 
we  entered  the  lighted  part  of  the  city,  I  noticed  that 
my  captor  was  a  Korean  policeman,  and  his  sword 
rattled  unpleasantly  at  his  heels.  He  refused  to  an 
swer  any  questions  and  ordered  me  on.  There  was 
scarcely  anyone  on  the  street  at  that  hour,  and  I 
was  marched  through  the  city  to  the  Japanese  con 
cession,  and  lodged  in  a  Japanese  prison. 

A  spirit  of  recklessness  seized  me,  and  when  they 
cut  the  thongs  that  bound  my  hands  and  thrust  me 
inside  a  room,  I  laughed  until  my  mirthless  voice 
startled  me.  A  kindly  disposed  Japanese  keeper 
tossed  me  a  pipe  and  a  pouch  of  tobacco.  I  broke 
the  pipe  into  a  dozen  pieces  and  hurled  them,  with 
the  tobacco,  out  of  the  door  after  him.  He  grunted 
something  and  fastened  the  door  upon  me.  I  was 
angry  as  I  had  never  been  before,  and  wandered 
around  the  small  room,  feeling  of  every  projection 
that  my  hand  touched.  I  felt  of  the  wood  bars 
fastened  across  a  tiny  window  and  tugged  at  them, 
then,  choosing  out  one,  I  lifted  in  a  delirium  of  rage 
until  the  bar  broke  with  a  loud  explosive  noise.  The 
lock  on  the  door  rattled  and  my  keeper  came  in  with 
a  light,  and  attempted  to  belabor  me  with  a  club.  I 
seized  his  arm,  and  we  rolled  together  on  the  floor. 
I  fought  with  a  thrill  of  savagery  until  the  man 
under  me  lay  still.  The  door  stood  wide  open,  but  I 
scorned  to  run ;  I  wanted  to  fight.  The  struggle  had 
occupied  only  a  moment;  but  the  noise  had  awak- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  237; 

ened  other  keepers  who  soon  appeared  at  the  door 
and  dragged  their  fallen  countryman  to  his  feet — he 
rubbed  his  eyes  in  a  bewildered  way  as  consciousness 
returned  to  him.  They  looked  hard  at  me  and  at  my 
persecutor,  and  I  felt  the  rage  of  all  my  wrong  ting 
ling  in  my  fingertips,  and  backing  into  a  corner 
waited  for  them.  They  talked  excitedly  for  a  few 
minutes  and  finally  led  their  companion  out  and 
closed  the  door  after  them. 

Again  I  laughed  loud  and  bitterly,  till  my  voice 
startled  me.  Twice  had  these  aliens  wrecked  my 
hopes,  and  the  most  bitter  of  all  feelings,  racial 
hatred,  filled  my  soul.  I  was  positive  that  the  letter 
in  Tong-siki's  hands  had  told  the  truth ;  and  that  to 
morrow  night  there  would  be  bloodshed  in  the 
palace ;  and  that  these  aliens  would  attempt  to  des 
troy  our  Queen.  The  thought  quieted  me,  and  my 
unreasoning  rage  subsided.  Again  I  felt  about  the 
room  for  a  chance  to  escape,  but  this  time  with  cau 
tion.  All  night  I  paced  about  the  prison  cell,  and 
when  the  morning  light  crept  through  the  little 
window  I  sat  down  on  the  floor,  and  waited  for  the 
keeper  to  bring  me  my  morning  rice.  My  senses 
were  alert  to  meet  the  examination  that  awaited  me. 
Before  the  morning  was  half  over  the  chain  again 
rattled  at  my  cell  door,  and  I  was  called  out  and  con 
ducted,  with  hands  free,  for  examination  before  a 
Japanese  official.  I  was  asked  why  I  had  been 
prowling  around  the  palace  gate  at  night.  I  told 


238  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

them  that  I  had  been  simply  passing  by,  when  I  was 
suddenly  seized  by  the  palace  guard  and  hurried  off 
to  prison,  never  having  dreamed  of  offense,  much 
less  a  wrong  against  his  Majesty  and  the  laws  of 
this  land,  or  the  laws  of  the  great  and  generous 
Japanese  people.  They  smiled  at  the  last  remark, 
and  asked  if  I  had  seen  anyone  among  the  guards 
before,  or  if  I  recognized  any  of  their  number?  I 
told  them  that  I  was  a  poor  man,  who  carried  water 
in  Pyeng-Yang  for  a  living,  and  had  come  to  Seoul 
in  search  of  a  friend,  and  that  I  had  never  had  the 
privilege  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  palace 
guards.  Presently  the  keeper  with  whom  I  had  had 
the  struggle  the  night  before,  was  brought  in,  and, 
when  he  appeared  with  his  head  bound  up,  a  smile 
flitted  from  face  to  face.  He  was  asked  a  few  ques 
tions  in  Japanese,  which  I  did  not  understand.  The 
questioner  then  turned  to  me  and  asked  if  I  had 
broken  the  prison  window  the  night  before,  and  I 
admitted  that  I  had. 

"Why  did  you  do  it?"  they  asked. 

"To  get  out,"  I  replied. 

"Did  you  not  know  that  it  was  a  grave  offense 
and  deserved  punishment?" 

"I  supposed,"  I  replied,  "that  your  excellency 
would  be  grateful,  if  I  should  demonstrate  the 
worthlessness  of  the  prison." 

"Do  you  see  the  man  with  the  cloth  about  his 
head?" 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  239 

"Yes." 

"Did  you  attack  and  wound  him  last  night  in 
prison?" 

"No,  I  did  not  attack  him,  but  I  wounded  him." 

"Tell  your  story,"  he  commanded. 

I  told  it,  as  it  was,  and  added,  "Your  people  beat 
us  on  the  street  and  in  the  shop,  wherever  we  come 
in  contact.  Then,  when  we  are  arrested,  even  if  it  is 
for  no  act  of  violence,  your  officers  of  the  law  beat 
and  wound  us.  Is  it  not  natural  for  us  to  turn  on 
the  ones  who  wound  us  ?  Will  not  the  wild  deer  and 
rabbit  when  seized,  turn  upon  their  tormentors?  If 
the  Creator  placed  the  law  in  the  heart  of  the  brute, 
why  do  you  deny  a  human  being  the  same  right? 
Why  do  you  despise  the  Koreans  and  ride  over  our 
country  with  shoes  of  iron  ?  Is  it  not  because  we  are 
not  in  the  habit  of  resisting  our  wrongs?  When  we 
crouch  under  your  blows,  you  despise  us,  and  the 
blows  are  multiplied.  I  have  not  learned  that  you 
have  any  law  that  allows  a  prison  keeper  to  deliber 
ately  unlock  a  prison  door  and  beat  an  uncondemned 
man,  and  if  I  have  showed,  in  resisting  that  unlaw 
ful  attack,  the  spirit  of  manhood  which  you  prize, 
why  should  you  condemn  me  or  my  countrymen 
under  like  circumstances,  and  make  us  what  you  de 
plore  and  despise?" 

"Your  story  regarding  your  presence  at  the  palace 
gate  is  accepted,"  they  finally  announced,  "but  it  is 
thought  wise  to  detain  you  a  day  or  two,  to  test 


240  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

your  good  behavior.  Do  not  attempt  to  escape," 
they  commanded,  and  I  was  led  away,  not  to  the 
prison,  but  what  seemed  to  be  a  private  house.  I 
was  given  a  room  with  a  mat  on  the  floor  and  to  my 
surprise  the  door  was  not  locked ;  but  when  it  opened 
for  a  moment  to  let  someone  in,  I  saw  a  soldier 
pacing  on  the  outside. 

When  night  came,  seized  with  utter  weariness,  I 
lay  down  to  sleep.  Late  in  the  evening  I  was  awak 
ened  by  a  Japanese  soldier  coming  in  with  an  armful 
of  blankets.  He  spread  them  out  on  the  floor,  and 
removing  his  clothes  lay  down  on  the  improvised 
bed.  Soon  his  heavy  breathing  announced  that  he 
was  sound  asleep.  I  crawled  to  where  his  suit  lay, 
and  removing  mine,  gradually  wormed  myself  into 
his.  I  had  nearly  completed  the  task  when  he  awoke, 
and  I  barely  had  time  to  lie  down  and  feign  sleep 
by  heavy  breathing,  when  he  sat  up.  Appearing  at 
last  contented  with  matters,  he  again  lay  down  and 
was  soon  lost  in  sleep.  I  crawled  to  the  door  and 
tried  to  slide  it  back ;  it  stuck  somewhere  and  would 
not  move.  I  ran  my  hand  up  the  casing  and  found 
it  fastened  with  a  padlock  on  the  inside.  I  searched 
through  his  pockets,  but  could  find  no  key,  and  con 
cluded  it  must  be  somewhere  about  the  sleeping  sol 
dier.  I  took  his  suit  off  and  put  mine  on,  then  I  felt 
about  his  blankets.  He  woke  with  a  start,  mutter 
ing  something  in  Japanese,  and  reaching  out  struck 
a  light.  The  room  was  small,  and  I  was  only  an 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  241 

arm's  length  away.  My  eyes  were  closed  and  my 
face  turned  toward  him,  and  peering  through  my 
lashes,  I  watched  him  examine  the  lock  and  raise  his 
pillow  and  rearrange  the  key  underneath.  He  then 
reached  over  with  his  foot  and  gave  me  a  rough 
kick.  I  awoke  with  pretended  difficulty,  and  sitting 
up  stupidly  asked  what  he  wanted.  Grunting  his 
satisfaction  he  again  lay  down.  When  his  loud 
breathing  gave  notice  of  sleep,  I  rolled  close  to  his 
blankets  and  cautiously  laid  my  hand  on  the  top  of 
the  pillow ;  five  minutes  later  I  crowded  my  fingers 
under  a  few  inches;  in  another  five  minutes  my 
whole  hand  had  passed  under  the  pillow  and  my 
fingers  touched  the  depression  made  by  the  soldier's 
head.  I  slowly  doubled  up  my  fist  to  raise  an 
uncomfortable  place  in  his  pillow,  hoping  that  in 
his  sleep,  he  would  unconsciously  roll  his  head 
from  me.  Suddenly,  his  breathing  became  quiet, 
and  I  knew  that  he  was  on  the  point  of  awaken 
ing,  and  my  heart  stood  still.  My  extended  arm 
had  already  become  stiff  and  my  fingers  numb, 
and  I  doubted  my  ability  to  hold  my  hand  quiet, 
or  of  even  being  able  to  feel  the  key  should  I 
touch  it.  Presently,  his  heavy  breathing  returned 
and  my  hand  moved  nearer  his  head;  he  yielded 
to  the  pressure,  and  I  extended  my  fingers  till  they 
touched  the  tiny  ring.  Five  minutes  later,  I  had 
removed  my  hand  from  the  pillow  and  rubbed  my 
fingers  until  the  circulation  returned,  then  I  un- 


242  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

locked  the  door  and  placed  the  key  beneath  his  pil 
low.  I  had  barely  completed  the  task  when  he 
awoke,  and  sitting  up,  felt  for  the  key,  and  reaching 
out  gave  me  another  jab  with  his  foot.  Half  an 
hour  later,  I  again  worked  myself  into  his  suit  of 
clothes,  and  removing  the  lock,  found  the  outer  door. 
When  I  had  entered,  I  had  taken  notice  of  the  curi 
ously  constructed  latch,  and  so  was  soon  out  in  the 
open,  under  the  bright,  twinkling  heavens. 

My  feet  tingled  to  run,  but  I  walked  leisurely 
down  a  side  street,  then  quickened  my  pace.  As  I 
crossed  the  main  street  a  Japanese  policeman  spoke 
to  me,  but  I  did  not  answer  him,  and,  to  my  dismay, 
he  seemed  to  regard  me  with  suspicion.  He  ap 
proached  and  examined  me  closely:  "Who  are 
you?"  he  asked. 

"For  the  palace  gate,"  I  whispered,  with  a  feeling 
of  desperation.  "Humph !"  he  grunted,  and  moved 
away.  When  I  reached  the  Korean  part  of  the  city, 
I  breathed  freely,  and  hastened  down  streets  and 
alleyways  that  were  free  from  meddlesome  police 
men. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
ATTACK  ON  THE  PALACE 

I  REACHED  the  door  of  Tong-siki's  home  and  then 
paused.  The  attack  on  the  palace  would  occur  any 
moment,  to  tell  him  would  only  endanger  his  life, 
neither  could  he  be  of  any  assistance  at  this  late  hour, 
I  thought — then,  too,  I  had  a  purpose  of  my  own, 
and  Tong-siki  might  thwart  it;  but  no,  I  must  tell 
him,  I  again  reflected,  and  rapped  at  his  door.  There 
was  no  answer,  then  I  called  in  a  low  voice,  but 
there  was  no  reply.  Remembering  his  uneasiness 
over  the  report,  I  knew  that  he  would  do  everything 
in  his  power  to  investigate,  and  was  gone  for  that 
purpose,  and  perhaps,  at  that  moment,  was  in  the 
palace  with  the  alarm.  Feeling  a  sense  of  relief,  I 
started  for  the  palace  gate,  a  half  hour's  walk  away. 
I  approached  the  gate  with  great  caution — when 
suddenly  a  hand  was  laid  on  my  shoulder  and  a  lan 
tern  swung  in  my  face.  My  topknot  had  been  lost 
at  the  hospital,  and  the  false  arrangement  that  I  had 
used  with  my  headband,  had  been  pulled  off  in  the 
struggle  with  the  prison  keeper.  I  was  led  to  where 
others  of  my  countrymen,  dressed  in  the  same  uni 
form,  waited.  A  hand  was  passed  over  my  head 
and  I  was  pronounced  all  right.  We  stood  a  long 

243 


244  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

time  in  deep  silence,  until  at  last,  we  heard  the  meas 
ured  tread  of  a  body  of  men.  As  they  marched  by 
us,  we  fell  in  at  the  rear.  The  Kang-wha  gate  was 
closed,  and  we  waited  till  it  creaked  on  its  hinges 
and  swung  open  on  the  inside,  then  we  all  crowded 
in  and  stood  for  some  minutes  under  the  arched  wall. 

A  consultation,  like  a  rehearsal,  was  taking  place 
among  the  leaders,  and  I  pushed  among  them  in  the 
hope  of  gaining  information.  What  was  said  was 
spoken  in  so  low  an  undertone  that  I  caught  but 
little,  but  from  it  all  I  gathered  that  the  purpose  was 
even  as  the  letter  had  stated — they  were  after  the 
life  of  the  Queen,  with  the  plan  of  getting  posses 
sion  of  the  government.  I  tried  in  the  darkness  to 
make  out  who  the  conspirators  were,  but  could  only 
ascertain  that  in  the  main  they  were  Japanese,  as 
sisted  by  Korean  soldiers;  who,  since  the  Chinese 
war,  had  been  trained  by  Japanese  officers.  A  chair 
was  waiting  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  company,  and 
observing  that  it  was  the  one  I  had  seen  entering  the 
palace  grounds  at  the  head  of  these  raiders,  I  crept 
up  to  it,  and  directly,  a  light  in  the  hands  of  a  sol 
dier  shot  for  an  instant  across  the  face  of  the  occu 
pant,  and  I  started  to  see  no  less  a  personage  than  his 
highness  the  Emperor's  father.  The  central  figure 
—attracting  general  attention — and  from  whom 
orders  were  rapidly  being  given,  was  the  high  Japa 
nese  official  whom  I  had  seen  before. 

At  sight  of  him  I  was  amazed  beyond  expression ; 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  245 

then  my  amazement  grew  into  hot  anger;  and,  at 
one  moment  I  had  an  insane  idea  that  I  would  at 
tack  the  man  as  he  stood  there;  then  a  moment's  re 
flection  came  to  my  rescue. 

Tong-siki  must  be  in  the  palace,  I  reflected,  and 
started  from  the  crowd  so  suddenly  that  several 
turned  to  follow  with  their  attention,  seeing  which, 
I  slackened  my  pace  and  carelessly  wandered  to  the 
outskirts  of  the  company,  and  beyond  the  line  of 
soldiers.  When  free  I  hurried  forward  to  give  the 
alarm  at  the  palace. 

I  had  gone  only  a  few  yards  when  half  a  dozen 
Korean  soldiers,  some  in  Japanese  uniform,  seized 
me,  and  I  whispered,  "Hush !  Make  no  noise." 

"What  are  you  doing?"  they  asked. 

"Hush!"  I  repeated,  "they  are  coming."  I  took 
advantage  of  their  momentary  hesitation  and  re 
turned  to  the  body  of  men,  realizing  that  the  organi 
zation  had  been  so  complete  that  I  could  only  hope 
to  follow  and  give  the  alarm  before  any  violence 
could  be  performed  against  their  Majesties.  As  I 
turned  to  the  center  of  the  group,  I  again  heard, 
"The  Queen !  the  Queen !  the  life  of  the  Queen !" 

As  the  party  moved  up  among  the  palace  build 
ings,  a  streak  of  gray  shot  across  the  eastern  sky, 
causing  our  company  to  hasten.  If  there  had  been 
nothing  previous  to  mark  the  soldiers  as  foreign 
troops,  the  alacrity  with  which  they  responded  to 
the  low  commands  would  have  proven  their  identity. 


246  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

We  were  led  in  and  out  among  great  rows  of  pal 
ace  buildings  toward  the  one  occupied  by  the  Em 
peror.  I  was  astonished  at  the  ease  with  which  en 
trance  was  made,  and  the  total  lack  of  opposition. 
We  were  called  to  a  halt  and  the  company  was 
formed  in  the  order  of  an  attacking  force,  when, 
suddenly,  a  scream  of  terror  gave  the  alarm.  Imme 
diately  hundreds  of  lights  flickered  among  the  build 
ings,  calls  resounded  with  sharp  commands  for  the 
soldiers  on  guard,  and  in  an  incredible  short  time 
we  were  faced  by  a  dusky  line  of  the  faithful  palace 
guards.  On  the  moment  of  alarm,  the  Japanese  sol 
diers  sprang  ahead  with  astonishing  precision,  leav 
ing  the  Korean  company  straggling  in  the  rear. 
Shots  rang  out  in  our  front,  but  no  one  fell.  The 
Japanese  soldiers  replied  writh  their  deadly  murata 
and  cries  and  groans  followed.  As  the  Japanese 
charged  up  the  narrow  alleyways,  I  felt  a  sickening 
sense  of  shame  to  see  our  palace  guard  flee  before 
that  small  body  of  men. 

I  stumbled  on  a  fallen  palace  guard  and  he  feebly 
called  for  help.  I  raised  him  up,  and,  as  I  did  so, 
his  jacket  swung  back,  revealing  his  side  covered 
with  blood.  I  looked  for  the  wound  and  then 
dropped  him  with  a  feeling  of  repulsion.  He  had 
been  hit  in  the  back.  Better  die,  I  thought,  then  in 
pity  stopped  to  help,  but  found  that  he  had  already 
rendered  up  his  life.  I  worked  my  way  around  the 
line  that  had  been  drawn  about  the  palace.  A  group 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  247 

of  So-shi  1  were  rushing  in  and  out  among  the 
palace  buildings  calling  the  name  of  the  Queen.  In 
front  of  me  stood  a  row  of  indifferent  troops  facing 
the  building,  the  faithful  tools  of  anyone  who 
wore  shoulder  straps  and  could  call  out  a  command. 
Except  for  the  shouting  of  the  So-shi,  quietness  had 
settled  over  the  palace  grounds.  Presently  screams 
were  heard  in  the  women's  apartments.  At  the 
sound,  I  broke  through  the  line  of  guards  and  ran 
for  the  entrance  to  the  building  where  I  believed 
was  his  Majesty.  I  heard  shouting  in  the  rear,  and 
men  in  hot  pursuit.  The  last  year's  hardship  and 
exposure  had  given  me  endurance,  and  my  pursuers 
fell  behind.  At  the  entrance  to  the  Emperor's 
apartments  I  saw  a  great  commotion ;  Koreans  and 
Japanese  dressed  as  I  was  were  engaged  in  a  hand- 
to-hand  struggle  with  a  gigantic  Korean,  who,  tow 
ering  above  them,  swung  a  club  with  terrible  effect. 
A  light  from  a  torch  struck  his  face  and  my  heart 
leaped.  It  was  Tong-siki.  At  the  door  my  pur 
suers  paused,  as  I  was  indistinguishable  from  the 
jostling  mass  with  swinging  arms  and  legs.  I  called 
to  Tong-siki  and  plunged  into  the  center  of  the 
fighting  mass  to  get  to  his  side.  He  saw  me,  and  I 
noticed  a  glance  of  recognition,  and  that  he  was 
bleeding  from  a  wound  in  the  head.  It  had  been 
too  narrow  an  enclosure  and  too  many  crowded  into 
the  narrow  space  to  allow  the  use  of  the  bayoneted 

Japanese  professional  cutthroats 


248  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

gun.  Thus  far,  Tong-siki,  with  the  ironing  club 
in  his  hand  and  his  back  to  the  wall,  had  not  been 
at  a  great  disadvantage;  but  immediately  the  thin 
wall  partition  fell  away  on  our  right  and  gave  room 
for  action.  The  Japanese  in  front  of  me  lunged  at 
Tong-siki,  but  was  met  by  a  blow  on  the  head. 
At  that  moment,  a  bayoneted  gun  was  raised  over 
the  heads  of  the  struggling  mob  and  aimed  at  Tong- 
siki 's  exposed  side.  I  hurled  it  aside  and  slashed 
with  my  sword,  with  a  wild,  vain  hope  that  I  might 
aid  Tong-siki  and  the  Emperor,  though  I  had  never 
held  a  sword  before.  Like  a  flash  of  light  when 
one  sees  but  has  not  feeling  or  thought,  I  beheld 
a  score  of  arms  raised  above  me  and  I  fell. 

Then  I  thought  I  was  dreaming  in  Tong-siki's 
home  and  the  great  bell  of  the  city  was  ringing  its 
vesper  call.  The  sense  of  a  great  duty  crept  through 
my  brain  and  I  struggled  to  arouse  myself,  but  it 
seemed  as  if  I  were  held  down  with  some  ponderous 
burden;  then  I  awoke,  but  found  the  room  empty 
and  the  body  of  a  huge  Korean  lying  across  me.  I 
gained  strength  and  tried  to  push  it  from  me  and 
my  hand  was  slippery  from  the  touch.  I  lifted  my 
self  on  my  hands  and  crawled  from  beneath  the 
weight  and  my  head  was  dizzy.  I  looked  at  the 
face  of  the  body  at  my  side  with  a  bewildered  sense 
of  familiarity,  then  my  vision  cleared  and  my  heart 
seemed  to  stand  still — it  was  the  set  face  of  Tong- 
siki.  I  picked  up  his  hand  and  it  lay  right  where 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  249 

I  put  it.  I  lifted  the  hair  that  had  fallen  over  his 
white  forehead,  and  at  the  touch,  I  forgot  the  Em 
peror  and  Korea's  wrongs.  The  clatter  of  feet  in 
the  adjoining  apartment  seemed  to  be  something 
with  which  I  never  had  anything  to  do.  Then  I  laid 
my  cheek  against  Tong-siki's  and  washed  away 
the  red  blotches  with  my  tears.  I  tqok  his  head  in 
my  lap,  and  an  ugly  cut  in  the  back  of  the  head 
gaped  up  at  me,  and  I  tore  up  a  coat  near  at  hand 
and  bound  up  the  wound;  when  it  was  done,  the 
foolishness  of  the  act  appeared  to  me. 

The  partition  that  had  fallen  during  the  struggle 
revealed  a  gorgeous  apartment  and  I  knew  it  was 
the  room  occupied  by  the  Emperor,  but  its  gorgeous 
trappings  had  no  interest  for  me.  Several  members 
of  the  So-shi  came  out  of  an  adjoining  room  and 
paused  in  front  of  me,  exchanged  remarks  in  their 
own  tongue,  and  one  vented  his  spleen  by  a  kick  in 
my  side,  then  passed  on.  For  this  I  cared  nothing, 
A  great  thirst  overcame  me,  and  seeing  a  bowl  of 
water  on  the  table  in  an  adjoining  room,  I  laid  the 
head  of  my  friend  tenderly  on  the  floor,  crossed  the 
floor  and  brought  the  bowl  back  and  raised  it  to 
my  lips.  Then  a  great  sob  rose  in  my  heart,  and 
I  poured  the  water  over  the  face  of  the  man  before 
me  and  wiped  it  away. 

A  stamping  of  feet  drew  my  attention  to  the 
opposite  apartment.  The  So-shi,  a  dozen  in  num 
ber,  approached,  carrying  a  burden  among  them.  As 


250  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

they  swung-  into  the  middle  of  the  room,  the  morn 
ing  light  glanced  upon  the  beautiful  silk  garments 
of  a  woman.  They  laid  her  on  the  floor  exposing 
to  my  view  her  face  and — a  deep  cut  in  the  throat. 
At  the  sight,  all  the  bitter  sorrow  and  pain  in 
my  soul  turned  to  hate.  Tong-siki's  club  lay  near 
at  hand  and  I  crept  over  to  where  it  lay.  I  noticed 
that  it  was  red  the  whole  length  and  when  my  hand 
closed  over  it  a  feeling  of  grim  pleasure,  like  a  hot 
breath  of  wind  swept  over  me,  and  as  I  crawled 
back  to  where  his  body  lay,  all  the  demons  of  my 
fierce  ancestry  awoke  with  glee,  "Kill!"  they  whis 
pered,  "kill!"  and  I  leaned  over  the  body  of  my 
friend  and  waited  coolly  calculating  the  number  I 
might  be  able  to  surprise  and  kill  before  rendering 
up  my  own  life.  A  mat  was  being  placed  over  the 
face  of  the  dead  woman.  I  made  ready  for  the 
onslaught  and  was  half  conscious  of  crowding  my 
toes  painfully  in  the  floor,  when  something  hap 
pened  that  made  me  pause  in  my  insane  purpose. 
A  young  woman  was  being  dragged  into  the  room. 
Her  back  was  toward  me  and  I  was  unable  to  see 
her  face,  but  something  in  her  graceful,  lithe  form, 
fixed  my  attention  with  a  sense  of  familiarity,  as 
often  will  the  odor  of  the  rose  startle  long  since 
dead  memories,  and  the  hate  in  my  heart  lifted  like 
a  sickly  vapor.  Suddenly,  the  cover  was  pulled 
from  the  face  of  the  dead  and  the  palace  girl  rudely 
pushed  forward. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA"  251 

"The  "Queen !  the  Queen !  O !  O !  O !"  the  girl  cried, 
and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands.  She  was 
released,  and  fled  with  the  swiftness  of  a  fawn,  and 
there  flashed  across  my  mind  a  familiar  scene  at  the 
old  hermitage.  Presently,  a  second  palace  woman 
was  dragged  into  the  room,  and  when  the  face  of 
the  dead  was  uncovered,  she  flung  herself  on  the 
floor  and  sobbed  the  name  of  her  Majesty.  Thus 
the  murderers  proved  the  identity  of  their  victim. 

The  deep  shadows  of  the  room  where  I  crouched 
had  hid  all  my  movements,  and  so  far,  secure  from 
molestation,  I  had  watched  the  scene  and  was  torn 
by  a  thousand  conflicting  emotions;  hate,  revenge, 
and  sorrow  held  sway,  until,  at  last,  the  sweet  face 
of  the  Pyeng-Yang  battlefield  seemed  to  look  down 
in  mine,  and  I  turned  to  Tong-siki's  marble  face 
and  touched  it  with  a  feeling  of  tenderness  and 
whispered  his  name — and  the  name  of  Ewa. 

The  body  of  the  Queen  was  hastily  wrapped  in 
a  rough  mat  and  carried  out,  the  red  ooze  dripping 
through  as  they  bore  her  by  me  out  of  the  door. 

Hardly  had  they  departed  before  the  smooth, 
Wrinkled  face  of  a  eunuch  presented  itself,  cau 
tiously,  at  the  door  in  the  opposite  end  of  the  room. 
Then  it  gazed  around  with  bulging,  scared  eyes,  and 
withdrew.  Presently  a  huge  body  presented  itself. 
The  light  was  not  strong  enough  to  make  our  posi 
tion  known,  and  he  wandered  about  looking  into 
the  corners,  cautiously,  as  if  on  the  point  of  taking 


252  EWA;  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

to  his  heels.  As  he  was  about  to  pass  by,  I  arose 
in  front  of  him  with  Tong-siki's  club  in  my  hand. 
With  a  cry  of  terror  he  threw  up  both  hands,  and 
his  fat  legs  shook  under  him.  "I  want  your  help," 
I  said,  raising  my  club ;  he  fell  on  his  knees  with  his 
head  to  the  floor  and  begged  for  his  life.  I  had 
some  difficulty  in  persuading  him  that  I  meant  no 
harm,  but  wanted  him  to  help  me  carry  the  body 
of  a  man  out  of  the  house  and  to  some  place  where 
I  could  look  after  it,  to  prevent  it  from  falling  into 
the  hands  of  persons  who  might  be  his  enemies. 
I  feared  that  they  would  mutilate  it  and  represent 
him  as  having  been  the  traitor  and  cause  of  the 
Queen's  death.  When  the  eunuch  understood  my 
purpose  he  gained  courage  and  readily  consented 
to  secure  coolies  to  carry  off  the  dead. 

"Indeed!"  said  he,  "the  palace  is  much  polluted 
and  we  must  cleanse  it  of  all  such  carrion." 

"Carrion!"  said  I,  "he  gave  his  life  for  the 
Queen." 

"Life  for  her?"  he  replied,  blinking  his  pig-eyes 
at  me,  "what  right  has  anyone  from  the  common 
herd  to  presume  to  offer  what  naturally  she  would 
spurn  ?" 

The  brutal  words  and  the  conviction  of  his  com 
plicity  in  the  murder  enraged  me,  and  I  again  swung 
the  bloody  club.  His  face  blanched  and  he  crouched 
at  my  feet.  "I  will  order  the  coolies,"  he  said,  with 
lips  blue  with  fear,  and  made  as  if  to  leave. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  253 

"Here!"  I  commanded,  seizing  the  body  by  the 
shoulders,  "take  hold  and  lift." 

"No!  no!  no!"  he  wailed,  "I  can't  touch  the 
dead."  Again  I  swung  the  club  and  he  knelt  near 
the  body  and  I  lifted  it  by  the  shoulders  and  forced 
him  to  lock  his  fat  arms  around  it.  Then  I  lifted, 
too. 

"Where?"  he  gasped,  the  perspiration  running 
down  his  face. 

"Your  apartments,"  I  commanded.  He  stag 
gered  and  I  made  a  motion  to  draw  the  club.  A 
prolonged  "Y-a-a"  was  the  reply,  and  we  started 
toward  a  door  that  I  had  not  noticed  before.  The 
burden  was  great  and  required  all  our  effort.  We 
passed  out  into  a  narrow  alley  that  led  finally  to  a 
summer  court,  where  well-tended  autumn  flowers 
bloomed  everywhere.  Panting  for  breath,  we  laid 
our  burden  down  beside  the  walk  beneath  a  shrub. 
The  eunuch's  garments  were  stained  and  he  stag 
gered  across  the  yard  and  pulled  them  from  him 
with  the  haste  of  mortal  fear.  I  gave  him  no  fur 
ther  attention,  but  sat  by  the  side  of  my  friend  in 
helpless  misery.  I  was  aware  of  persons  in  the 
yard,  of  whom  I  took  no  notice,  but  was  suddenly 
conscious  of  someone  standing  at  my  back,  looking 
over  my  shoulder  at  the  face  on  the  ground.  I  felt 
irritated  at  the  presence  of  anyone  actuated  by  curi 
osity  and  looked  up  with  impatience,  and  then 
sprang  to  my  feet. 


254  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"Ewa!"  I  cried,  and  stepped  toward  her.  She 
did  not  look  at  me,  probably  not  hearing.  She 
pointed  to  the  face  on  the  ground.  I  looked  and 
a  great  wave  of  delight  swept  over  me.  There  was 
a  twitching  of  the  muscles  of  Tong-siki's  face. 
"Water,"  I  called;  the  girl  sped  a\vay  and  in  a 
moment  was  back  with  a  gourd  of  cold  water.  I 
reached  for  it,  but  she  knelt  at  his  side  and  began 
bathing  his  forehead  with  her  own  hands. 

She  wras  gorgeous  in  silks  and  bright  colors,  and 
her  large  sleeves  slipped  back  to  the  elbow,  reveal 
ing  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  her  wrist.  Her  head 
bent  near  mine  and  her  hair  touched  my  shoulder. 
I  was  still  in  my  Japanese  uniform,  and  blood 
covered  my  face.  She  had  not  recognized  me, 
doubtless  believing  that  I  had  really  died  on  the 
battlefield  of  Pyeng-Yang.  I  watched  her  fingers 
as  they  deftly  bathed  Tong-siki's  face,  and  tightened 
the  bandage  around  his  head.  She  washed  his 
blood-stained  hands.  Tong-siki  opened  his  eyes 
and  looked  vacantly  up,  tried  to  move  his  lips  and 
closed  his  eyes  again.  I  laughed,  and  cried,  and 
took  the  dear  old  hand  of  my  faithful  comrade  and 
caressed  it  and  midst  laughter  and  tears  talked  to 
him  in  the  foolish  style  of  our  boyhood  days. 

"Wake  up,  Tong-siki,"  said  I,  "Mayo  is  under 
the  sweet  willow  with  his  lute,  come  where  we  can 
see  the  river  in  the  sunlight;  come  Tong-siki,  the 
boats  are  dancing  on  the  water  and  calling  you,  the 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  255 

path  all  the  way  down  to  the  river  bank  is  crowded 
with  flowers." 

He  opened  his  eyes  and  smiled  with  a  look  of  in 
telligence  and  I  laughed  and  pressed  his  cheek  with 
my  fingers.  Then  I  noticed  that  the  girl  had  silently 
withdrawn  and  was  intently  gazing  at  me,  her  lips 
white,  and  the  muscles  of  her  beautiful  face  like 
statuary.  I  deliberately  reached  for  the  gourd  of 
water  and  washed  the  blood  stains  from  my  face 
and  hands,  and  presented  my  wrist  with  the  sign 
of  the  cross.  I  laid  it  out  against  Tong-siki's  fore 
head  as  if  by  accident.  A  company  of  women  had 
gathered  and  were  standing  somewhat  aloof,  but 
watched  our  efforts  at  resuscitation  with  great 
interest. 

"Ewa,"  I  whispered,  "you  thought  I  was  dead, 
but  I  have  been  searching  for  you  all  these  months." 
While  speaking  I  looked  at  Tong-siki,  then  glanced 
at  her  face ;  her  breath  was  coming  short  and  rapid, 
and  the  large,  dark  eyes  were  searching  me  from 
head  to  foot.  "You  wanted  me  to  search  for  you?" 
I  pleaded,  with  an  undefinable  fear  creeping  down  in 
my  heart. 

"Water!"  Tong-siki  whispered,  and  I  called  to 
one  of  the  women  standing  at  a  distance.  She 
brought  it  and  placed  it  in  my  hands.  Violence 
had,  for  a  moment,  eliminated  all  barriers  of  rank. 
I  placed  the  water  to  Tong-siki's  lips,  then  he 
wearily  closed  his  eyes. 


256  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

When  I  looked  at  Ewa  she  was  in  the  same 
attitude. 

"No  word  for  me,  Ewa?"  I  asked. 

"Regicide!"  she  said,  glancing  at  Tong-siki. 

"No!  no!  he  fell  in  defense  of  the  Emperor,"  I 
said. 

Her  gaze  turned  to  my  Japanese  uniform. 

"I?  I  was  at  his  side,  this  is  a  disguise,"  I  said, 
interpreting  her  questioning  look. 

"Escape !"  I  said,  then  I  paused ;  for  the  first  time 
her  position  at  the  royal  court  loomed  up  before  my 
vision.  Would  she,  indeed,  follow  me?  She  had 
the  wealth  of  the  country  at  her  feet,  and  to  what 
distance  would  her  beauty,  grace  and  brilliancy  not 
carry  her?  My  lips  grew  dumb  and  I  felt  faint  and 
helpless. 

At  that  moment,  there  was  a  stir  at  the  yard 
gate,  and  the  company  of  bystanders  fled  for  seclu 
sion.  The  slave  girl  alone  remained,  though  she 
withdrew  a  few  yards.  The  eunuch  appeared  with 
a  company  of  coolies  bearing  a  rough  stretcher. 

"Remove  this  carrion  from  the  palace  grounds," 
said  he,  authoritatively,  as  he  came  puffing  to  my 
side,  then  paused  when  he  saw  that  Tong-siki  was 
alive.  It  was  evident  that  he  held  profound  rever 
ence  for  my  Japanese  uniform,  which  confirmed  my 
suspicions  that  he  had  been  an  accomplice  to  the 
crime. 

"Send  those  coolies  out,"  I  ordered,  "and  bring  in 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  257 

a  better  litter  for  a  sick  man."  He  hesitated,  but  in 
five  minutes  was  back  with  a  litter  and  blankets. 

When  Tong-siki  had  been  laid  on  the  litter  I 
told  the  eunuch  that  it  was  too  late  in  the  day  for 
me  to  appear  on  the  street  in  that  uniform,  that  he 
must  furnish  me  with  something  Korean,  as  it  would 
not  be  good  for  either  him  or  me  if  I  were  to  be 
found  in  it,  providing  the  present  coup  d'  etat  should 
not  prove  successful.  His  face  grew  purple  with 
wrath  and  he  stormed  furiously,  that  I  should  class 
him  with  the  murderers  of  the  Queen.  I  looked  him 
straight  in  the  face  and  laughed. 

"Good  acting,"  said  I,  "keep  it  up.  I  see  the 
Japanese  and  the  king-regent  know  how  to  choose 
good  accomplices."  He  disappeared,  puffing  and 
muttering,  and  soon  returned  with  a  suit  of  clothes 
and  motioned  me  to  one  of  his  rooms. 

I  felt  assured,  when  I  finally  looked  myself  over, 
that  it  would  puzzle  any  Japanese  policeman  to  dis 
cover  in  me  the  man  who  had  escaped  from  their 
hands  the  previous  night. 

"Hide  the  uniform,"  I  directed,  "till  I  send  or 
call  for  it." 

As  I  walked  down  the  yard  to  join  the  coolies 
who  were  impatiently  waiting  with  the  litter  raised 
on  their  shoulders,  I  passed  a  large  shrub  in  the 
middle  of  the  compound.  A  white  garment  glinted 
through  the  branches  and  I  paused  in  front  of  it, 
pretending  to  adjust  my  hat. 


258  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"Watch,"  a  low  musical  voice  said,  "at  the  home 
of  the  rich  Yi." 

"Where?"  I  asked,  but  she  had  gone. 

With  a  hopeful  heart  I  followed  the  litter  through 
its  many  windings  among  the  palace  buildings;  pres 
ently  we  were  brought  to  a  halt  by  a  large  crowd 
of  palace  people  who  were  standing  in  our  path.  I 
ordered  the  coolies  to  wait  and  worked  my  way  into 
the  midst  of  the  crowd  of  scared,  w^hite  faces.  The 
smell  of  burning  flesh  arose  from  the  ground  and 
looking  over  someone's  shoulder  I  saw  a  charred 
heap.  "What  is  it?"  I  asked. 

"Queen !"  was  the  awed  reply. 


CHAPTER    XX 
STORMS  IN  THE  CAPITAL 

I  HASTENED  back  to  the  litter  and  urged  the  coo 
lies  on.  We  passed  out  of  a  small  gate  where  our 
guide  left  us,  and  I  led  the  way  across  the  city  to 
a  foreign  hospital,  wher  our  burden  was  kindly 
received. 

We  laid  Tong-siki  gently  on  the  warm  floor  of 
the  hospital.  He  had  said  nothing  since  asking  for 
water.  The  surgeon  looked  him  over  with  a  non 
committal  face,  and  told  me  to  return  the  next  day. 
Being  assured  that  he  would  have  good  care,  and 
that  in  any  case  I  would  not  be  allowed  to  remain 
with  him,  I  reluctantly  took  my  leave  after  a  long 
look  at  the  face  of  my  friend.  He  did  not  reply  to 
my  inquiries  and  words  of  farewell;  then  I  knew 
that  he  was,  indeed,  a  sick  man.  Many  days  there 
after  I  hung  around  the  hospital  with  an  occasional 
privilege  of  looking  in,  but  not  to  speak  to  him.  A 
piece  of  broken  skull  had  been  lifted  from  the 
brain,  I  was  told,  and  that  he  might  get  well. 

Frequently  I  searched  for  the  Yi  home,  without 
success.  Tong-siki  alone  knew  where  it  was  and 
many  times  I  asked  myself  when  he  would  be  able 
to  tell  me. 


260  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

I  took  the  news  of  Tong-siki's  illness  to  his  old 
associate,  Mr.  Clio,  who  expressed  his  regrets  much 
as  he  would  if  he  had  seen  a  neighbor  bruise  his 
finger.  I  was  angered  at  the  indifferent  interest  of 
the  many  who  had  fawned  at  his  feet,  hoping  for 
political  preferment  in  case  he  should  succeed. 
Many  of  them  had  acknowledged  and  praised  Tong- 
siki's  moral  vigor,  but  the  hand  of  restraint  irri 
tated  them,  and  they  felt  a  sense  of  relief  in  his 
absence.  Their  politeness,  however,  dictated  ex 
pressions  of  regard.  Others  had  a  desire  to  aid  in 
a  real  reform,  but  needed  just  his  rugged  leadership, 
and  they  were  really  sorry  for  losing  him.  But  in 
none  was  the  grief  so  deep  that  they  were  led  to 
call  in  person  at  the  hospital.  There  were  those, 
however,  who  sent  food  delicacies  and  their  cards, 
none  of  which  were  allowed  to  reach  him. 

A  fever  of  some  sort  had  attacked  the  patient, 
and  I  had  to  be  content  to  sit,  day  after  day,  on 
the  hospital  doorsteps  and  listen  to  the  monotonous 
answers  to  all  my  inquiries,  "Just  the  same." 
Finally,  one  bright  November  clay,  I  was  told  that  I 
might  visit  him.  He  was  lying  in  a  darkened  corner 
on  a  mat.  I  was  wholly  unprepared  for  the  change. 
He  was  but  a  skeleton,  the  skin  seemed  drawn  tight 
over  his  skull,  making  his  head  appear  abnormally 
large.  His  eyes  were  sunken  and  his  mouth  seemed 
to  stretch  across  his  face,  giving  it  a  ghastly  smile. 

"Tong-siki !"  I  half  sobbed ;  his  eyes  turned  to  me 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  261 

with  an  intelligent  look.  He  spoke  weakly  but  with 
cheerful  accents.  ''Getting  better/'  said  he,  "will 
soon  be  with  you,  bride-hunting  again." 

Tong-siki's  illness  had  doubtlessly  saved  his  life. 
The  party  that  came  into  power,  as  the  result  of  the 
death  of  her  Majesty,  searched  relentlessly  for  per 
sons  on  whom  they  could  fix  the  name  of  the  crime, 
to  cover  up  the  real  criminals.  Innocent  people  were 
seized,  strangled,  or  beheaded  in  great  numbers; 
and  the  country  grew  weary  at  the  sickening  scene, 
which  deceived  no  one  any  more  than  did  the  burn 
ing  of  the  Queen's  body.  At  the  beginning  Tong- 
siki  was  searched  for  as  one  of  the  marked  men. 
His  death  would  satisfy  many  plotters  of  violence. 

When  I  found  where  Mr.  Yi  lived  I  hastened  to 
the  place,  and  was  filled  with  dismay  on  learning 
that  he  had  fled  for  fear  of  being  apprehended.  The 
matter  surprised  me  the  more  that  he  was  in  league 
with  the  eunuch,  who,  I  knew,  was  an  accomplice 
with  the  murderers  of  the  Queen.  Something,  I 
argued,  must  have  caused  the  eunuch's  enmity.  Per 
haps  he  saw  an  independent  fortune  in  the  sole  pos 
session  of  the  girl,  and  therefore  wished  to  enrich 
himself  by  disposing  of  Mr.  Yi.  But  the  more  I 
thought  of  the  matter  the  less  satisfactory  did  that 
explanation  seem.  Mr.  Yi  being  wealthy  it  would 
be  for  the  former's  interest  to  continue  old  relations, 
unless,  indeed,  he  had  already  secured  Mr.  Yi's 
wrealth. 


262  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

I  assumed  the  role  of  a  servant  and  visited  the 
household  that  occupied  Mr.  Yi's  old  quarters,  but 
they  could  give  me  no  information.  By  none  of  the 
old  devices,  that  helped  me  under  disguise,  could  I 
join  a  company  of  officials'  servants  on  their  visit 
to  the  palace  grounds.  The  new  forces  in  possession 
guarded  their  interests  with  jealous  care.  I  was 
compelled  to  wait  till  Tong-siki  should  again  be  able 
to  move  among  his  former  associates. 

In  the  meantime  an  effort  was  made  by  the 
Royalists  to  roust  the  pretenders,  but  the  plan  of  the 
attack  on  the  palace  was  betrayed  and  the  Royalists 
were  seized ;  then  there  was  a  repetition  of  slaughter 
in  the  prisons  of  Seoul. 

In  January  Tong-siki  was  back  in  his  old  place 
in  the  house  of  his  former  friend,  Mr.  Cho.  Asso 
ciates  who  had  neglected  him  in  his  sickness,  gath 
ered  around  him  now,  with  many  expressions  of 
pleasure  over  his  "resurrection."  The  great  work 
that  he  had  inaugurated  had  fallen  to  pieces.  He 
found  some  of  his  associates  among  the  Japanese 
party,  and  some  among  the  Royalists,  while  others 
who  were  nearer  him  had  fallen  under  the  knife. 
A  man  of  less  courage  would  have  been  appalled  at 
the  task.  Heretofore,  all  his  movements  had  been 
carried  on  under  the  greatest  secrecy;  now,  how 
ever,  there  were  numbers  in  the  ascendancy  who 
found  it  to  their  interest  to  throw  off  all  allegiance 
to  him,  denouncing  him  openly  as  a  foolish  and  dan- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  263 

gerous  dreamer.  Again,  with  his  marvelous  per 
sonality  and  his  profound  faith  in  his  countrymen, 
he  bent  his  energies  to  reorganize  his  plans.  Self- 
sacrifice  was  his  watchword,  which  seemed  to  his 
associates  madness,  until  they  came  under  his  won 
derful  personality.  Then,  frequently,  the  idea  of 
renunciation  for  the  love  of  justice  and  the  glory  of 
their  country,  became  a  passion,  held  in  restraint 
only  by  his  farsighted  reasoning. 

Finally  it  was  hinted  by  his  enemies  that  Tong- 
siki  had  struck  down  the  minister  of  the  royal 
household  at  the  time  of  the  royal  coup  d'etat,  and 
that  a  certain  eunuch  had,  in  defence  of  his  Majesty 
felled-  and  seriously  wounded  Tong-siki,  and  that 
he  had  been  in  hiding  until  recently.  The  report 
was  industriously  circulated  among  the  common 
people  and  the  charges  were  pushed  so  hotly  that 
many  friends  again  fell  from  him,  and  his  life  was 
threatened. 

About  this  time,  the  royal  decree  went  forth, 
ordering  all  loyal  subjects  to  cut  off  their  top-knots. 
The  people  believed  that  his  Majesty  had  been 
coerced  in  this  measure  by  the  hated  Japanese,  in 
common  with  everything  else  that  had  recently 
emanated  from  the  palace. 

"Would,"  the  people  asked,  "our  father,  the  Em 
peror,  wantonly  humiliate  us  to  the  level  of  Buddhist 
priests?" 

They  rose  in  revolt,  until  the  iron  hand  of  mili- 


264  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

tary  power  under  the  Japanese  command  forced 
them  to  submit.  Tong-siki  and  I  had  long  since 
under  the  necessity  of  the  surgeon's  knife,  lost  that 
heritage  of  our  ancestry. 

"Let  the  'reforms'  continue,"  said  Tong-siki. 
"The  slaughter  of  members  of  the  royal  family  and 
the  degradation  of  our  millions  will,  doubtlessly,  win 
the  love  and  devotion  of  Korea  to  Japan.  Let  her 
continue,"  he  said  with  a  smile,  "till  she  has  every 
Korean  her  bitter  foe.  True  enough,  one  Korean 
means  but  little.under  present  conditions;  but  when 
twelve  millions  of  people  become  imbued  with  one 
idea,  it  \vill  take  more  diplomacy  than  lies  in  the 
statesmanship  of  that  country  to  make  Korea  Japan 
ese  territory.  She  may  land  armies ;  but  that  will  be 
only  for  a  day,  while  our  millions  are  here  forever. 
We  shall  live  and  fight  on  through  the  centuries. 
We  may  not  be  regarded  as  a  great  people  to-day, 
but  we  have  seen  many  nations  who  were  called 
great,  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Three 
thousand  years  rest  on  our  head  like  a  crown  of 
glory.  Others  may  fight  harder  and  with  more  bril 
liancy,  but  none  have  ever  endured  as  we  have.  In 
the  past  centuries,  after  our  enemies  have  exhausted 
themselves  in  battering  down  our  walls  and  tramp 
ling  upon  our  homes,  we  have  risen  from  the  ruins 
and  driven  them  from  our  shores.  While  in  the 
hospital  I  heard,  among  many  other  things,  a  bit  of 
philosophy — 'He  who  appeals  to  the  sword,  will  die 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  265 

by  the  sword.'  Korea  has  never  lifted  her  sword 
during  all  her  history,  except  in  self-defense,  and 
then  only  when  her  would-be  destroyers  were  actu 
ally  on  her  soil.  When  a  people  boasts  of  armies 
destroyed  and  alien  peoples  conquered,  it  should 
remember  the  irony  of  Fate,  who  takes  toll  of  every 
drop  of  blood  wantonly  shed,  not  from  the  con 
quered,  but  from  the  veins  of  the  conquerors. 
Statesmen  have  profitable  lessons  to  learn  from  the 
philosophy  of  justice.  Let  Japan  use  force  to  our 
humiliation  and  force,  like  a  grizzly  giant,  will  arise 
and  beat  her  to  powder  at  our  feet.  Do  you  know 
why  I  struggled  with  the  problem  of  reform  with 
so  much  confidence?  I  may  perish,  but  the  right 
will  win;  such  is  the  law  of  the  sages,  and  such  is 
the  law  of  the  Christians.  While  in  the  hospital  I 
had  an  abundance  of  time  to  reflect  upon  the  new 
religion  of  the  West.  New,  did  I  say  ?  It  is  as  old 
as  the  world ;  it  is  God  working  through  man.  There 
is  much  in  it  of  which  I  am  still  a  humble  student. 
Justice  and  sacrifice,  Sung-yo,  are  the  words  most 
on  the  lips  of  its  devotees,  and  justice,  the  law  of  the 
universe,  will  be  Korea's  portion." 

Soon  great  changes  took  place  in  the  capital.  The 
Emperor  had  fled  to  the  Russian  Legation  and  set 
up  his  court  there.  The  crimeof  the  murderers  of  the 
Queen,  who  were  now  stripped  of  the  glamour  of 
power,  stood  out  in  hideous  proportions.  At  this  junc 
ture  Tong-siki  was  able  to  make  his  influence  felt. 


266  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

Other  leaders  started  the  Independence  party 
movement,  from  which  Tong-siki  held  aloof.  He 
had  a  terror  of  the  rule  of  mobs.  When  asked  his 
opinion,  he  replied  that  it  was  an  organism  with  a 
vast  amount  of  enthusiasm,  but  little  reason;  as  a 
schoolmaster,  it  might  have  its  place,  but  savored 
much  of  anarchy. 

When  it  was  understood  that  the  Japanese  power 
over  the  Emperor  had  been  removed,  there  was 
general  rejoicing  throughout  the  country  and  among 
many  of  the  officials.  Tong-siki  remarked  to  those 
self-congratulatory  statesmen,  that  the  ridding  of 
the  country  of  the  hateful  enemy  did  not  mean  re 
form,  or  in  any  measure  a  betterment  of  the  condi 
tion  of  the  people,  and  his  kindly  remarks  regarding 
the  Japanese  surprised  his  friends. 

When  Tong-siki  was  again  able  to  enter  the  pal 
ace  he  made  vigorous  search  for  the  rich  Yi  and  the 
slave  girl.  He  learned  that  the  girl  had  escaped,  and 
that  Mr.  Yi  had  fled  from  the  city  and  was  in  hid 
ing,  the  girl  probably  with  him.  It  was  not  until 
long  afterward  that  I  learned  that  Tong-siki  had 
encountered  the  eunuch  and  forced  from  him  these 
facts.  It  had  cost  him,  however,  a  huge  sum  of 
money,  and  the  effort  had  brought  him  so  close  to 
powerful  members  of  the  cabinet  who  hated  him, 
that  it  had  nearly  cost  him  his  life. 

All  this  he  kept  from  me  and  advised  me  not  to 
delay  my  efforts  to  find  Mr.  Yi's  hiding  place.  It 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  267 

later  developed  that  the  girl  having  fled  from  her 
service  in  the  palace  to  her  old  master,  the  eunuch 
understood  it  as  a  scheme  to  circumvent  him  by  ex 
posing  his  part  in  the  overthrow  of  the  old  regime 
and  murder  of  the  Queen.  Now  that  the  Japanese 
influence  was  gone,  his  life  would  be  in  imminent 
danger  should  any  of  these  facts  come  to  light.  Ac 
cordingly,  he  trumped  up  a  charge  against  Mr.  Yi, 
and  the  news  of  the  intended  arrest  sent  that  gentle 
man  in  a  panic  to  a  country  hiding-place. 


CHAPTER    XXI 
THE  SEARCH  CONTINUED 

RETURNING  to  the  city  of  Pyeng-Yang,  I  sold 
much  of  my  remaining  property,  and  again  took  up 
my  long  search  through  the  interior.  I  traced  the 
party,  at  last,  to  a  coast  steamer,  and  followed  the 
same  route;  stopped  off  at  every  landing  and  made 
diligent  search.  Of  my  journeyings,  and  endless 
search  and  multitude  of  disappointments,  I  have  not 
time  here  to  speak. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  the  earth  had  literally  opened 
and  swallowed  the  Yi  family.  I  visited  the  old  Her 
mitage  in  disguise,  and  met  the  old  servant  of  my 
previous  acquaintance.  She  was  ignorant  of  their 
whereabouts,  and  stated,  as  her  belief,  that  Mr.  Yi 
had  been  reduced  to  poverty.  She  herself  had  fled 
from  Pyeng-Yang  at  the  time  of  the  Chinese  war, 
and  found  refuge  at  the  cave,  waiting  faithfully  for 
the  renewal  of  her  youth.  I  made  a  thorough  search 
of  the  Yi  clan,  and  found  out  all  about  his  relations 
to  it,  and  visited  hundreds  of  that  name;  but  he  had 
taken  the  precaution  not  to  affiliate  with  any,  that  he 
might  cover  up  all  his  tracks.  Agents  had  sold  off 
his  property,  and  when  I  searched  the  country  where 
it  was  stated  the  author  of  the  transaction  lived,  I 
was  told  that  no  such  person  existed. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  269 

Two  years  had  thus  passed  when  the  events  of  this 
history  crowded  rapidly  upon  me.  It  was  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  province  of  Chue-la.  Foot 
sore  and  weary,  I  climbed  a  mountain  path  leading 
to  a  town  where  I  hoped  for  a  night's  rest.  One  of 
those  late  seasons  of  heavy  rain  had  set  in  for  the 
last  five  days,  and  when  I  reached  the  top  of  the 
mountain  pass,  I  was  told  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  me  to  proceed  any  farther  than  the  valley  below, 
for  at  that  point,  the  mountain  stream  had  swollen 
to  an  impassable  flood.  To  return  to  the  village  that 
I  had  left  would  be  a  long  journey;  the  town  ahead, 
I  was  informed,  was  only  an  hour's  walk,  and  I  re 
solved  to  continue  to  the  stream  and  take  my  chances 
in  getting  across.  At  the  top  of  the  mountain,  a  few 
yards  from  the  path,  the  stream  bounded  over  rocks 
and  shot  out,  as  if  propelled  by  some  unseen  force 
hidden  in  the  dark  pools  of  the  deep  basins  of  the 
mountainside.  As  I  journeyed  the  stream  grew 
larger,  roaring  and  bellowing  as  it  tore  downward ; 
near  the  bottom  the  volume  of  water  had  vastly  in 
creased;  it  pounded  and  thundered  till  the  founda 
tion  of  the  mountain  trembled.  At  the  bottom,  the 
torrent  spread  out  in  a  narrow  plain  and  flowed  with 
frightful  rapidity,  as  if  pursued  by  our  mountain  de 
mons.  Farther  on,  it  turned  abruptly  across  my 
path,  beyond  which,  on  the  other  side,  was  the  vil 
lage  that  I  had  been  seeking  for  a  night's  shelter. 
As  I  approached  the  usual  ford,  where  in  dry 


270  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

weather  a  half  dozen  stones  serve  as  a  crossing,  I 
found  a  broad  stream  filled  with  bowlders,  around 
which  the  torrent  staggered  and  whined  complain- 
ingly,  then  hastened  down  the  valley.  Ahead  of  me 
\vere  other  travelers,  who  had  been  brought  to  a 
standstill  with  the  smoke  of  their  homes  within 
sight.  On  the  bank,  a  large  Korean  stalked  back 
and  forth  impatiently,  while  the  bearers  of  his  palan 
quin  lay  on  the  ground,  indifferent  alike  to  their  em 
ployer's  impatience,  and  to  the  stream  which  flowed 
so  boisterously  at  their  feet. 

As  I  neared  the  group,  the  chair-bearers  rose  from 
the  ground  and  seemed  to  be  remonstrating  with 
their  master  as  he  stood  looking  out  across  the  flood. 
In  a  moment,  he  had  thrown  off  his  clothes,  and  has 
tily  tying  them  in  a  bundle,  fastened  it  at  the  back 
of  his  head,  plunged  into  the  water,  and  struck  out 
for  the  opposite  shore.  I  ran  to  the  river  bank  and 
watched  the  progress  of  the  swimmer.  He  had  mis 
calculated  the  fierceness  of  the  current,  and  we  ran 
along  the  bank  to  keep  pace  with  him  as  he  was 
swept  down  stream.  At  one  moment  he  seemed  on 
the  point  of  gaining  on  the  current,  then  at  the  next, 
he  would  be  seized  by  a  new  force  attacking  him 
from  behind  some  bowlder,  and  hurled  back  in  mid 
stream.  At  first  he  seemed  a  good  swimmer,  coolly 
calculating  his  chances  and  working  without  undue 
haste,  as  if  intent  on  husbanding  his  strength,  yet 
he  was  soon  puffing  and  staggering,  as  a  man  over- 


EVVA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  271 

taxed.  Below,  some  distance,  at  a  point  which 
marked  the  beginning  of  long  rapids,  the  water 
became  more  boisterous,  churning  and  boiling  furi 
ously.  The  swimmer  saw  that  he  was  being  swept 
irresistibly  toward  the  spouting  rocks,  and  lunged 
forward  with  all  his  might  to  make  the  shore.  We 
shouted  to  encourage  him — he  gained  on  the  flood, 
then  his  strength  was  gone;  a  few  more  feeble 
strokes  and  he  was  back  in  the  middle  of  the  boiling 
stream.  Ahead,  the  spray  shot  high  in  the  air,  and 
the  stream  surged  and  bounded  over  the  submerged 
bowlders.  To  strike  one  of  these  rocks  meant  in 
stant  death,  and  I  held  my  breath  as  he  swept  on  to 
this  maelstrom  of  seething  foam.  He  was  looking 
ahead,  and  from  where  we  stood  we  could  see  his 
eyes  bulging  with  terror;  someone  at  my  side  called 
to  him,  I  know  not  what,  nor  could  the  swimmer 
hear  in  that  din  of  hurrying  waters.  At  the  begin 
ning  of  the  rapids,  the  stream  narrowed  and  seemed 
to  drop  away  from  the  flood  above  and  shoot  for 
ward  with  frightful  speed.  Having  noted  the  change 
in  the  stream,  I  ran  ahead,  vaguely  wondering  if 
some  current  would  not  hurl  him  shoreward.  I 
reached  a  certain  point,  opposite  which  the  stream 
turned  away  and  made  a  sharp  bend  against  the 
other  shore,  some  hundred  yards  below.  Already 
the  swimmer  was  being  hurled  down  the  rapids,  and, 
as  I  glanced  upstream,  the  converging  currents 
seized  and  plunged  him  beneath  the  surface ;  imme- 


272  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

diately  he  reappeared  nearly  opposite  me.  I  had 
with  unconscious  action  stripped  off  my  clothes  as  I 
ran,  and  stood  with  hands  raised  over  my  head.  As 
the  man  came  to  the  surface  a  dark  ring  around  his 
waist  showed  for  an  instant,  and  I  knew  that  he  was 
being  dragged  to  his  death  by  a  string  of  copper  coin 
tied  there. 

I  plunged  in  and  with  steady  stroke  gained  on  the 
white  body  that  glanced  a  moment  in  the  light  here 
and  there,  was  gone  beneath  the  flood — then  slipped 
away  yonder  beyond  my  grasp.  On  the  right  and 
left,  the  water  churned  and  jostled  against  the  rocks, 
and  I  marveled  at  our  escape.  At  first  I  struggled 
to  seize  the  drowning  man,  then  I  pulled  steadily  in 
his  wake  resolving  to  reserve  my  strength  for  the 
struggle  beyond.  One  moment,  in  my  eagerness,  I 
rashly  seized  him,  and  his  slippery  body  glided 
through  my  grasp,  the  act  causing  a  defalcation  of 
our  direction,  and  we  barely  escaped  being  dashed 
on  to  a  pile  of  ragged  rocks.  Beyond,  at  the  bend, 
the  stream  plunged  up  against  the  rocky  bank,  and 
seemed  shouting  and  roaring  to  receive  us.  I  was 
appalled  at  the  sight  and  made  a  lunge  for  the  man 
ahead  and  seized  the  straw  rope  about  the  waist ;  it 
gave  way,  and  I  was  glad  to  see  the  body  bound  to 
the  surface  when  relieved  of  its  weight  of  metal.  In 
a  moment  I  had  the  man  by  the  hair  and  battled 
against  the  current  that  each  moment  was  hurling 
us  toward  those  perilous  rocks.  The  fierce  strug- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  273 

gle  exhausted  my  strength,  and  I  became  confused 
and  had  a  dim  idea  that  I  was  to  be  thrown  into 
the  air,  like  the  spray  above  us,  when  we  should 
strike  the  rocks.  Suddenly  a  rock  in  midstream 
appeared  in  our  front,  and  I  seized  on  to  a  sharpened 
projection  and  clung  for  an  instant  with  my  left 
hand,  and  thought  not  of  it  when  the  rock  cut  deep 
into  the  flesh.  The  body  to  which  I  clung  swung 
down  the  stream,  away  from  the  rocks  near  the 
shore,  then  I  was  torn  from  my  hold  and  we  were 
hurled  shoreward,  where  the  tide  boiled  and  surged 
with  such  fury.  I  caught  my  breath  as  the  water 
closed  over  my  head.  It  seemed  an  age  that  I  lay 
helpless  under  that  mad  flood,  my  head  seemed 
bursting,  and  I  prayed  to  the  Christian's  God.  Then, 
suddenly,  we  shot  to  the  surface,  and  as  soon  as  I 
could  get  breath,  I  discovered  that  we  were  in  the 
margin  of  one  of  those  remarkable  eddies  in  our 
rivers,  where  the  stream  in  its  mad  plunge  down 
ward,  catches  a  projection  of  the  bank  and  is  divided, 
a  part  turning  backward  along  the  shore.  A  few 
strokes,  and  we  were  floating  up  stream,  with  a 
gentle  motion. 

I  labored  heavily  shoreward  with  my  burden,  and 
when  my  feet  touched  bottom  I  staggered  to  where 
it  was  shallow,  and  waistdeep  in  water  sat  down, 
gasping  painfully  for  breath.  I  took  the  head  of 
the  drowning  man  in  my  arms  and  tried  to  hold  it 
above  the  surface ;  I  had  not  seen  the  face  clearly  be- 


274  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

fore,  and  as  I  did  so,  I  flung  it  from  me  and  rose  to 
my  feet,  while  the  body  glided  into  deeper  water; 
it  was  the  face  of  the  rich  Yi. 

Then  I  reached  after  it  and  dragged  it  ashore,  and 
by  prodigious  effort  arranged  it  on  the  bank  with  its 
head  down;  then  I  lay  down  and  thought  my 
strength  would  never  return.  I  got  up  and  with 
numb  hands  and  arms  tried  to  work  the  water  from 
the  body  I  had  brought  ashore,  and  it  became  loath 
some  to  my  touch.  To  have  left  him  alone  and 
sought  Ewa,  who  must  be  near  at  hand,  would  have 
closed  all  my  years  of  pain  and  wanderings;  even 
now,  like  an  uninvited  guest,  the  question  comes 
again  and  again  to  my  mind,  would  it  not  have  been 
best? 

I  was  frequently  on  the  point  of  turning  from  my 
labors  of  resuscitation;  then  the  face  of  Tong-siki 
would  seem  to  stand  out  before  me,  and  I  would  hear 
his  words,  "Sacrifice,  it  is  the  law  of  the  sages  and 
of  the  Christians" ;  so  I  labored  on.  Soon  the  color 
crept  into  the  face  of  the  man  before  me;  then  his 
eyelids  twitched,  and  he  looked  up  at  me  with  a  far 
away  expression ;  and  I  was  glad.  Finally  a  cough 
ing  fit  seized  him,  and  I  sat  at  a  distance  watching 
him  pass  through  the  painful  struggles  of  the 
nearly  drowned,  when  life  is  again  enthroned. 

When  he  had  sufficiently  recovered,  he  rose  and 
looked  around  and  wanted  to  know  what  had  hap 
pened  ?  I  told  him  the  story  of  the  accident,  leaving 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  275 

out  no  detail;  he  heard  me  through  and  looked  his 
gratitude,  but  finally  started  and  felt  at  his  waist  for 
the  string  of  cash,  and  looked  suspiciously  at  me. 

"See,"  I  said,  with  a  feeling  of  contempt,  "I  am  as 
naked  as  you  are,  have  I  your  money?"  He  looked 
down-ashamed. 

The  sun  was  touching  the  horizon  when  we  were 
able  to  rise  and  start  toward  the  village  then  was  I 
glad  with  a  hope  that  the  years  of  struggle  were  at 
an  end.  My  lips  burned  with  questions  as  to  the 
slave  girl's  whereabouts  and  her  welfare,  but  dared 
not  speak  of  those  things.  I  had  an  intuition  that  if 
she  were  still  in  his  possession,  he  would  guard  her 
with  fierce  jealousy,  and  no  sense  of  gratitude  on  his 
part  would  protect  me  from  violence.  I  determined 
if  she  were  here  that  no  power  on  earth  could 
separate  us  again ;  the  resolve  grew  into  a  fierce  pas 
sion,  and  I  was  impatient  to  measure  strength  and 
will  with  the  man  before  me. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  Mr.  Yi  called  to  a 
neighbor  and  secured  clothing.  I  followed  him  into 
the  village.  He  could  hardly  have  chosen  a  better 
place  to  hide  from  the  enraged  officials  of  the  capi 
tal.  The  town  was  hemmed  in  among  the  moun 
tains  and  difficult  of  access  from  any  direction.  The 
people  were  exceedingly  poor  and  evidently  held 
little  communication  with  the  outside  world,  and 
the  houses  were  miserable  huts.  Mr.  Yi's  home, 
while  the  largest  in  the  town,  was  nothing  more 


276  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

than  a  large  straw  hut  divided  into  several  small 
rooms.  I  discovered  later  that  he  had  bought  up 
most  of  the  rice  land  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  town. 

I  was  glad  that  he  did  not  recognize  me  as  the  man 
who  had  carried  water  to  his  door,  and  played  the 
lute  at  his  feet  in  Pyeng-Yang.  Time  and  exposure 
had  made  many  changes  in  my  appearance. 

As  we  entered  a  street  of  the  town,  a  girl  with  a 
cloak  drawn  over  her  face,  stepped  in  behind  my 
companion,  and  he  greeted  her  with  a  word  of  kindly 
recognition.  She  followed  close  at  his  heels,  and  I 
concluded  that  she  must  be  of  his  household.  Some 
thing  in  the  short  dumpy  figure  trudgingf  between 
us,  reminded  me  of  someone  I  had  seen  before.  As 
our  course  zigzagged  through  the  narrow  streets,  a 
great  crowd  gathered  at  our  heels,  with  a  multitude 
of  questions  regarding  Mr.  Yi's  escape.  He  admit 
ted  that  I  had  helped  him  out  of  the  river,  though  I 
thought  it  was  with  an  air  of  reluctance,  but  I  had 
my  reward  by  being  regarded  a  hero.  Where  had  I 
come  from,  and  what  had  I  come  for?  What  was 
my  name  ?  How  long  would  I  remain  among  them  ? 
were  among  the  multitude  of  questions  hurled  at  me. 
I  answered  them  all  with  frankness.  There  are  little 
more  than  a  hundred  surnames  in  our  country,  and 
I  stood  in  little  danger  of  discovery  by  giving  them 
my  true  name. 

The  dumpy  figure  in  front  of  me  followed  faith- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  277 

fully  behind  us,  turning  around  a  muddy  pool  here, 
and  over  a  pile  of  rubbish  there,  always  with  her 
diminutive  foot  in  the  tracks  of  Mr.  Yi. 

When  we  reached  the  house  I  paused  at  the  com 
pound  gate  with  the  proper  respect  for  the  house. 
Mr.  Yi  turned  to  direct  me  to  an  outer  reception 
room,  and  as  he  did  so,  the  girl  dropped  the  cloak 
from  her  head  and  faced  us.  I  was  spellbound,  and 
stared  at  her  in  amazement.  She  was  humpback 
and  ugly,  the  face  that  I  had  seen  while  peering 
through  the  window  years  ago  in  the  city  of  Pyeng- 
Yang ;  she  was  my  betrothed  whom  I  was  still  bound 
to  marry  by  the  customs  and  law  of  our  country.  I 
stared  at  the  apparition  till  the  girl  covered  her 
head,  and  Mr.  Yi  called  me  to  my  senses  by  asking  if 
that  was  the  custom  in  my  section  of  the  country  to 
stare  at  young  women.  His  face  was  near  mine,  and 
he  breathed  heavily  as  he  spoke. 

Stammering  an  apology,  I  went  into  a  room  where 
neighbors  had  already  gathered,  hoping  to  have  a 
chance  to  hear  more  of  our  escape  from  the  flood.  I 
sat  down  confused,  and  answered  their  many  ques 
tions  absently.  They  muttered  among  themselves 
something  about  unsociability,  and  finally  drifted 
from  the  room. 

The  owner  of  the  beautiful  slave  girl,  was  the 
father  of  the  deformed  creature,  through  whom  my 
father  had  intended  to  refill  his  money  boxes.  If 
Mr.  Yi  should  find  out  who  I  am,  thought  I,  he 


278  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

might  have  the  papers  of  the  contract  in  the  hands 
of  the  nearest  magistrate  in  a  few  hours,  then  my 
misery  would  only  begin. 

When  the  last  neighbor  had  worked  his  feet  into 
his  sandals  and  disappeared  I  was  left  quite  alone. 
I  walked  about  the  room  and  peered  through  the 
cracks  of  the  door,  into  the  open  yard  about  the 
house,  hoping  for  a  view  of  her,  for  whom  I  had 
sought  so  long  and  eagerly. 

At  the  hour  for  the  evening  meal,  Mr.  Yi  came 
in  and  sat  down,  and  I  wondered  if  the  slave  girl 
would  bring  the  rice ;  when  the  door  at  last  opened  I 
looked  up  with  my  heart  in  my  mouth,  but  it  was  not 
she,  nor  did  she  appear  later  to  carry  away  the 
tables.  At  last  when  the  meal  was  over,  I  began  to 
question  Mr.  Yi  as  to  his  history,  in  the  usual  polite, 
indifferent  way  of  our  people.  He  replied  evasively 
to  my  question  regarding  his  children;  he  still  had 
two  daughters;  his  sons  had  all  died;  as  to  slaves 
he  had  none,  they  were  more  trouble  than  they  were 
worth.  Yes,  he  had  been  to  the  capital,  and  had 
seen  something  of  life  there;  on  making  the  remark 
he  drew  himself  up,  and  for  the  next  hour  main 
tained  a  bearing  of  considerable  importance.  When 
I  told  him  that  it  was  surmised  that  a  certain 
eunuch  had  taken  part  in  the  Japanese  raid  on  the 
palace,  he  looked  at  me  sharply  and  appeared  sus 
picious  of  my  purpose  in  coming  to  the  town.  I 
told  him  that  the  eunuch  had  lost  his  political  influ- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  279 

ence,  and  Mr.  Yi  seemed  pleased  and  talked  with 
more  freedom.  I  mentioned  the  fact  that  one  of  the 
palace  women,  the  most  talented  and  beautiful,  was 
suddenly  missing,  and  that  there  had  been  no  trace 
found  of  her ;  some  thought  that  she  had  committed 
suicide ;  others  thought  that  she  had  been  destroyed 
at  the  time  of  the  Queen's  death,  while  others  be 
lieved  that  she  had  been  spirited  away  and  was  still 
living  in  seclusion,  and  that,  when  it  should  become 
advantageous  for  her  captors  to  do  so,  they  would 
return  her  to  the  royal  family.  I  hinted  that  the 
country  was  being  searched  for  her,  and  I  pitied  the 
man  who  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  law  on  her  ac 
count. 

He  moved  uneasily,  and  covertly  watched  my  face. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "I  would  not  want  to  be  in  the 
place  of  any  man  who  had  caused  the  wrath  of  a 
member  of  the  royal  family." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  I,  "that  the  only  way  for 
anyone  in  that  position  would  be  to  marry  off  the 
girl  as  soon  as  possible  and  get  rid  of  her." 

His  startled  look  warned  me  that  I  was  pushing 
affairs  too  fast,  and  I  hastily  changed  the  subject 
of  conversation,  nor  did  I  return  to  it  again  that 
evening,  but  rattled  on  regarding  my  purpose  to 
visit  a  friend  in  the  South.  While  I  talked  he  ex 
amined  me  minutely,  and  seemed  pleased  to  note  that 
my  hands  were  heavy  with  toil,  and  that  my  skin 
had  been  burned  to  a  dark  brown  by  exposure  to  the 


280  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

sun.  I  endeavored  to  give  him  the  impression  of  the 
utmost  frankness,  and  clung  in  my  speech  to  the 
provincialism  of  the  North,  with  which  I  was 
familiar  from  boyhood.  He  strove  clumsily  at  first 
to  draw  me  out  as  to  my  knowledge  of  affairs  at  the 
capital.  I  permitted  him  to  lead  me  on  and  answered 
every  question  from  the  standpoint  of  gossip.  So 
and  so  had  said  this  and  that. 

When  we  parted  late  in  the  evening,  he  acknowl 
edged  with  openheartedness  his  debt  of  gratitude  to 
me  for  saving  his  life.  He  was  sorry  that  I  had  lost 
my  suit  of  clothes,  but  out  of  gratitude  he  would  give 
me  a  suit.  Indeed,  what  was  a  suit  of  clothes  com 
pared  to  one's  life;  also,  no  doubt,  I  had  had  money 
in  my  bag,  but  never  mind  that,  just  name  the 
amount  and  he  would  replace  it,  and  trust  to  the 
honesty  of  the  chair-bearers  to  return  it  when  the 
water  went  down;  but  what  was  a  few  strings  of 
cash  in  a  case  like  this,  indeed,  he  would  double  the 
amount,  so  that  I  would  not  need  to  delay  my  jour 
ney  to  meet  my  friend.  He  knew  what  a  terrible 
thing  it  was  to  be  separated  from  friends ;  he  would 
have  an  early  breakfast,  and  I  might  get  off  as  soon 
as  daylight;  his  gratitude  would  do  more  for  me, 
he  would  send  someone  to  help  me  on  the  way;  he 
had  a  donkey  and  would  be  glad  to  loan  me  the  ani 
mal  to  ride,  if  I  would  accept  such  service;  indeed, 
he  would  accompany  me  himself,  and  at  that  point 
he  became  warm  in  his  protestations  of  a  feeling  of 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  281 

friendship  that  would  not  let  him  commit  such  an 
act  of  gratitude  to  a  servant.  When  I  protested  his 
gratitude  knew  no  bounds;  he  would  have  the  don 
key  saddled  and  at  the  door  at  daylight;  and  he 
would  accompany  me  for  a  distance  of  at  least  two 
days ;  and,  as  he  thought  the  matter  over,  he  would 
like  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  the  friend  of  whom 
I  had  spoken  so  warmly. 

When  at  last  he  had  left  me,  I  lay  down  for  the 
night  with  the  feeling  of  disgust  of  one  being  out 
witted. 

All  night  I  revolved  schemes  for  remaining  and 
felt  humiliated  that  I  had  so  blundered  in  conversa 
tion,  as  to  make  my  host  determined  to  get  rid  of  me. 
I  could  only  think  that  his  panic  must  be  from  fear 
that  I  would  learn  something  of  the  girl,  and  report 
her  whereabouts  to  the  officials  in  Seoul.  That  being 
the  case,  I  knew  that  he  would  either  succeed  in  re 
moving  me,  or  in  spiriting  the  girl  away.  I  mused 
much  over  his  unreasonable  fear  of  the  Seoul  offi 
cials,  and  the  probable  absolute  indifference  of  even 
the  eunuch,  regarding  him  or  the  girl. 

At  midnight  I  carefully  crawled  to  the  door  and 
stepped  out.  When  I  could  get  my  bearings  I  made 
a  circuit  of  the  outside  of  the  compound  and  exam 
ined  every  detail  with  minute  care.  Returning,  I 
tried  to  pass  from  the  room  to  the  inside  compound. 
I  had  hardly  stepped  into  the  yard  when  a  dog  set 
up  a  furious  barking.  I  softly  withdrew  and  laid 


282  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

down.  Hardly  had  I  done  so  when  I  heard  my  Host 
shuffling  about  the  yard ;  the  dog  came  to  my  door 
and  laid  down  on  the  step.  His  master  brought  a 
light  and  seemed  to  be  examining  the  walks  and 
steps.  The  shrewdness  of  the  act  astonished  me;  I 
reached  for  my  sandals  and  felt  of  the  bottoms,  dry 
ashes  crumbled  beneath  my  fingers.  Hastily  brush 
ing  the  bottoms,  I  placed  them  at  the  outer  door, 
and  then  lived  a  five  minutes  of  agony  to  know 
whether  he  had  discovered  my  tracks  on  the  steps. 
The  lamp  approached,  and  a  cuff  sent  the  dog  across 
the  yard.  I  felt  easier,  for  I  was  sure  that  the  animal 
had  obliterated  any  marks  of  my  sandals ;  evidently 
his  suspicions  were  of  the  liveliest  kind,  and  I  real 
ized  for  the  first  time  the  task  before  me. 

True  to  his  promise  of  the  previous  night,  food 
was  brought  before  daylight;  and  I  soon  heard  the 
stamping  of  horses'  feet  and  the  harsh  bray  of  a 
donkey,  \vhich  proclaimed  that  my  host  had  meant 
all  he  had  said.  A  half  hour  later  Mr.  Yi  ap 
peared  and,  seeing  that  I  had  not  touched  the  food, 
hastily  inquired  the  cause.  I  apologized  for  the  in 
sult  offered  his  house,  but  the  struggle  in  the  river 
the  previous  day  had  made  me  ill.  Dismay  was 
written  all  over  his  face;  down  in  my  sandals  some 
where  I  laughed  uproariously,  though  my  face  was 
filled  with  pain,  for  I  had  practiced  the  expression 
for  the  last  three  hours,  indeed,  the  lack  of  a  night's 
rest  after  the  fierce  struggle  of  the  afternoon  had 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  283 

left  my  eyes  red  and  smarting,  but  I  had  not  been 
so  hungry  since  I  ate  rice  with  the  Chinese  at  the 
time  of  the  war.  I  begged  him  to  send  the  table 
away,  which  he  did,  and  I  followed  it  with  my  eyes, 
regretfully.  The  doctor  soon  appeared,  and  his 
drugs  nauseated  me ;  I  was  glad,  as  it  proved  that  I 
was  sick,  and  it  helped  me  to  get  rid  of  the  drug. 

All  day  I  tried  to  interpret  every  step  about  the 
building,  but  felt  sure  if  my  host  intended  to  re 
move  the  girl,  he  would  not  do  so  so  until  night  had 
come.  At  noon,  I  was  persuaded  to  eat  something, 
and  there  was  evident  hope  in  Mr.  Yi's  heart,  but  at 
night  I  was  manifestly  worse,  and  my  host's  solici 
tude  decreased  as  my  illness  seemed  to  increase. 

At  midnight  I  heard  a  shuffling  of  feet,  and  mur 
muring  of  voices  in  the  softest  undertone,  I  crept  to 
the  door  of  my  room  which  opened  into  the  com 
pound  and  working  a  hole  through  the  paper  cover 
ing,  I  could  see  that  several  persons  were  preparing 
to  leave,  among  them  were  two  women.  When 
they  had  passed  into  the  street,  I  made  ready  to  fol 
low. 

Beyond  the  house  a  lantern  was  lit,  and  I  was  able 
to  make  out  my  host.  The  sight  pleased  me,  as  he 
would  not  be  able  to  spy  on  my  movements.  I  fol 
lowed  the  party  through  the  streets  and  out  in  the 
open  country,  and  was  surprised  when  an  hour 
passed — then  two — and  still  the  party  walked  on. 
Finally  they  led  the  way  into  a  hamlet  nestled  up 


284  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

among  the  overhanging  rocks  of  the  mountain.  I 
closed  up  the  distance  between  us  so  as  not  to  lose 
sight  of  them.  Someone  met  them  at  a  compound 
gate  and  the  company  talked  and  chattered  without 
restraint.  Noting  the  house  they  entered,  I  crawled 
so  close  that  I  heard  my  host  give  directions  in  a 
tone  of  authority,  so  I  knew  the  building  belonged 
to  him.  I  lingered  till  I  heard  him  say  that  he 
would  return  on  donkey-back,  then  I  fled  with  all 
haste  that  I  might  outstrip  his  donkey,  the  occa 
sion  giving  speed  to  my  feet. 

At  the  early  cock  crowing  I  was  again  creeping 
into  the  room  I  had  left,  and  soon  I  was  in  profound 
sleep,  and  when  I  awoke  it  was  nearly  noon  of  the 
next  day.  Food  was  brought,  and  I  announced  that 
I  was  better  and  would  be  moving.  My  host  poured 
upon  me  genuine  hospitality,  and  urged  me  to  stay 
until  wholly  recovered.  In  mid-afternoon,  however, 
he  consented  to  my  determination  to  leave  and,  true 
to  his  promise,  accompanied  me  on  his  donkey  till 
we  reached  an  inn  some  forty  li  from  his  village. 
With  many  expressions  of  gratitude  for  his  hospi 
tality  on  my  part,  and  protestations  on  his  part,  we 
separated,  he  taking  his  way  homeward,  and  I,  for  a 
hearty  supper  and  a  mat  for  a  good  night's  rest.  The 
next  day  I  explained  that  my  health  had  been  poor, 
and  I  would  spend  the  day  in  rest,  and  in  the  mean 
time  made  close  inquiries  regarding  the  topography 
of  the  country. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  285 

While  lying  on  the  floor  in  the  inn,  impatient  for 
the  day  to  pass,  I  looked  over  head  and  noticed  what 
appeared  to  be  a  gourd  from  which  extended  a  pro 
jection,  like  a  handle.  I  looked  at  it  indifferently  for 
some  time  with  my  mind  absorbed  with  the  purpose 
before  me.  I  made  many  foolish  vows  and  called 
the  gods  to  witness  that  in  the  duel  with  the  power 
ful  Yi,  I  would  win,  or  perish  in  the  attempt. 

A  breath  of  air  stirred  among  the  beams  over 
head,  and  the  string,  dangling  from  the  gourd,  swung 
back  and  forth,  and  held  my  attention.  I  got  up 
and  looked  more  closely,  then  tugged  at  it.  Instead 
of  a  gourd,  as  I  thought,  I  held  in  my  hand  a  lute 
covered  deep  with  dust.  A  strange  sensation  crept 
over  me;  I  carried  it  to  the  door  and  brushed  it  free 
of  dust,  then  my  hand  shook.  I  was  repeating  in 
my  heart,  "Mayo !  dear  old  Mayo !"  I  knew  that  the 
ringers  that  had  touched  and  caressed  it  so  often 
were  idle  and  would  be  so  forever.  Somewhere  in 
a  gruesome  prison  house  he  was  lying,  and  his  music 
forever  hushed  and  silent. 

I  called  the  innkeeper  and  he  told  me  the  story  of 
its  possession. 

Said  he :  "More  than  a  year  ago,  an  old  man  was 
found  ill  one  morning  some  fifty  li  north,  and  the 
people,  for  fear  that  he  would  die  on  their  hands, 
and  they  would  have  the  trouble  of  digging  a  grave 
for  him,  had  carried  him  during  the  night  to  the 
next  town,  and  the  next  village  not  wanting  the  task, 


286  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

in  their  turn,  picked  him  up,  and  carried  him  on; 
this  move  was  repeated  by  each  village  until,  at  last, 
he  was  laid  in  our  streets,  with  the  lute  still  in  his 
hands.  He  was  very  weak,  mostly  from  the  lack 
of  food.  I  gave  him  a  bowl  of  rice,  and  tears  of 
gratitude  trickled  down  his  face  and  he  kissed  my 
hand.  When  it  was  suggested  by  someone  that  he 
give  up  his  lute  to  pay  for  the  food  he  was  eating, 
he  refused  the  rice  and  clung  to  the  instrument. 
None  of  us  wanted  the  care  of  a  sick  man,  much  less 
his  death  in  our  homes,  and,  it  being  warm  weather, 
he  was  left  out  on  the  roadside.  In  the  night,  the 
people  heard  the  sweet  tones  of  his  instrument  ac 
companied  with  the  quavering  and  halting  voice  of 
the  minstrel.  He  was  singing  a  strange  new  song 
that  he  had  found  among  the  Christians,  'My  father 
is  rich  in  houses  and  lands/  The  notes  yearned  and 
cried  about  our  houses  all  night  like  the  wail  of  an 
infant.  When  the  light  of  morning  was  breaking,  I 
went  out  to  him,  but  he  did  not  look  at  me.  His 
eyes  were  fixed  in  the  distance ;  he  had  ceased  play 
ing,  but  his  fingers  were  on  the  strings ;  'my  father !' 
he  whispered,  'my  mother !'  then  his  lips  were  silent 
and  he  still  gazed  in  the  distance." 

When  the  innkeeper  had  told  his  simple  story,  I 
brushed  my  sleeve  across  my  eyes,  and  asked  where 
he  had  been  buried? 

"Half  of  the  town  had  heard  the  singing  and  were 
in  tears;  the  next  morning  we  agreed  to  bury  him 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  287 

properly,  so  we  rolled  him  in  bandages  and  a  dozen 
men  carried  him  to  yonder  knoll  and  buried  him 
there,"  said  he,  pointing  some  little  distance  above 
the  village. 

"I  took  the  instrument/'  he  continued,  "as  I  had 
given  most  of  the  cloth  for  the  burial.  I  pulled  it 
from  his  stiffened  ringers.  Some  advised  me  to 
throw  it  away,  but  I  have  not  been  afraid  of  it." 

"The  last  of  a  great  race  of  men,"  I  said.  "I  knew 
him  and  want  the  instrument  for  a  keepsake." 

On  learning  that  I  could  play  it,  he  consented  to 
receive  the  price  of  the  cloth,  that  he  had  brought, 
and  I  was  glad  that  I  had  not  permitted  myself  to 
refuse,  at  the  hand  of  the  rich  Yi,  much  more  than  I 
had  lost,  nor  did  I  complain  when  the  innkeeper 
reckoned  up  an  enormous  amount  of  cloth  for  the 
burial  shroud  of  one  man,  and  a  high  price  per  yard. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
SEARCH  REWARDED 

IT  was  a  market  day  in  the  town,  and  I  bought  a 
farmer's  shield-like  hat,  large  enough  to  drop  over 
one's  face  if  one  chooses  not  to  be  seen. 

When  the  sun  had  dropped  well  into  the  west,  I 
started  back  by  a  circuitous  route,  for  the  village 
that  I  had  visited  the  night  before.  I  spent  the 
night  in  the  open,  under  a  huge  tree  in  a  grove  above 
the  village.  The  town  was  too  small  to  boast  of  an 
inn ;  nor  would  I  have  wanted  to  stop  with  the  peo 
ple  overnight. 

In  the  morning  I  began  at  one  end  of  the  town, 
playing  and  singing  at  the  front  of  dwellings  and 
shops,  receiving  a  cash  here  and  another  there. 
Thus  I  earned  my  breakfast.  Finally,  I  reached  the 
house  where  I  had  seen  the  rich  Yi  enter  the  previous 
night,  and  crossing  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  street, 
played,  but  receiving  no  attention  from  its  inmates, 
I  walked  slowly  to  the  front  of  the  house  and  took 
note  of  every  detail  of  the  structure.  It  was  as  un 
pretentious  as  the  score  of  others  about  it.  From 
the  size  of  the  dwelling  I  believed  that  the  occupants 
must  be  small  in  number.  I  played  and  sang  over 
long  at  the  gate,  but  no  one  greeted  me,  and  my 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  289 

heart  sank.  A  crowd  of  boys  were  at  my  heels,  and 
I  must  needs  move  on. 

Could  it  be  possible  that  she  was  not  there,  and 
that  the  move  of  the  night  before  had  been  a  ruse 
on  the  part  of  the  wily  Yi,  knowing  that  I  would 
watch  and  follow.  Then  I  remembered  the  girl's 
strength  of  character  and  felt  ashamed  to  think  that 
I  had  expected  her  to  run  to  meet  me  at  the  first 
sound  of  my  voice,  at  the  risk  of  disclosing  our  re 
lations. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  again  made  a  partial  round  of 
the  village,  and  stopped  before  the  gate  of  the  Yi 
house.  I  did  not  dare  to  own  the  bitterness  of  my 
disappointment,  when  I  turned  away  without  seeing 
signs  of  life  within. 

Just  before  it  grew  dark,  I  climbed  up  the  moun 
tain  side,  and  stood  in  front  of  a  great  rock  where  I 
could  be  easily  seen  by  anyone  from  the  Yi  com 
pound.  Then,  as  the  shadows  of  the  night  deepened, 
a  thousand  specters  of  doubt  assailed  me.  Two 
years  had  passed  since  I  had  seen  her,  or  had  known 
anything  of  her ;  in  that  time  what  change  may  not 
have  taken  place?  I  shuddered  when  I  recalled  the 
methods  used,  at  different  times,  to  compel  her  to 
become  the  wife  of  men  of  other  people's  choosing. 
Who  could  forever  resist  such  a  system  of  remorse 
less  persecution  ?  Then,  as  I  thought  of  the  purpose 
of  the  rich  Yi  to  make  her  his  concubine,  I  was 
seized  with  a  chill  of  ague  and  hate  for  the  round, 


290  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

fat  face  of  her  master.  I  wondered  why  I  had  not 
left  him  alone  after  dragging  him  out  of  the  water. 
How  long  it  seemed  since  that  terrible  struggle !  If 
I  had  merely  turned  his  head  uphill  instead  of  down, 
or  if  I  had  simply  left  him  alone !  Tong-siki's  face 
crept  into  the  gloom,  and  I  knew  that  my  thoughts 
were  murder,  and  I  sat  down  in  utter  wretchedness. 
The  reaction  of  the  last  few  days,  from  feverish  an 
ticipation  to  disappointment,  touched  my  soul  with 
its  icy  fingers  of  despair.  If  Ewa  had  been  there 
and  free,  there  would  have  been  some  sign  of  recog- 
.nition,  I  bitterly  thought.  That  people  were  in  the 
house,  I  knew  from  the  smoke  rising  from  the  chim 
ney  at  evening  time.  It  all  meant,  it  seemed  to  me, 
that  she  had  become  the  property  of  another.  At 
times,  as  I  sat  there  in  my  despondency,  the  chirping 
of  crickets  and  katydids  beat  in  on  my  mind;  then 
again,  I  heard  nothing  and  felt  nothing  but  the 
maddening  misery  of  my  own  heart. 

Thus  I  sat  till  the  twinkling  lights  of  the  houses 
beneath  went  out,  and  the  people  were  wrapped  in 
the  quiet  of  slumber,  and  a  late  moon  had  risen,  cast 
ing  the  shadows  of  the  mountain  at  my  back,  out 
over  the  village  and  far  out  across  the  plain,  as  if 
jealously  sheltering  the  evil  thoughts  of  men  and 
pityingly  covering  their  passions  and  misery.  I 
thought  of  old  Mayo  and  his  wonderful  talent;  of 
his  great  devoted  heart ;  of  his  fate — turned  out  on 
the  street  to  die  without  a  kind  word,  or  tender  hand 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  291 

to  make  him  forget  the  sting  of  death.  Music  had 
been  a  phantom  leading  him  always,  but  to  no  desti 
nation.  Had  I,  like  him  wasted  the  years  for  a 
Will-o'-the-wisp,  glad,  if  at  last  I  might,  though 
robbed  of  the  reality,  caress  the  memory  of  a  sweet 
voice  and  kind  looks  and  in  my  despondency,  my 
soul  whispered  it  would  be  even  so. 

As  I  looked  before  me,  suddenly  a  white  garment 
glinted  in  the  shadows,  and  I  was  aware  of  a  figure 
moving  noiselessly  up  the  path  toward  me.  On  it 
came,  with  now  and  then  a  pause  as  if  uncertain  of 
the  way.  A  great  hope  surged  through  me  and  I 
waited  without  a  sign.  Unconsciously,  I  put  out  my 
hand  and  it  touched  the  lute.  I  picked  it  up  and 
passed  my  fingers  over  the  strings,  the  apparition 
paused  and  seemed  on  the  point  of  taking  flight. 

"Ewa,"  I  said,  and  in  a  moment  was  at  her  side. 
.  I  led  her  to  the  foot  of  the  great  rock.  She 
came  as  innocent  as  I  had  known  her  years  ago  at 
the  Hermitage.  How  long  we  sat  there,  her  head 
pillowed  on  my  arm,  I  do  not  know.  Out  in  the 
village,  a  cock  called  with  clarion-like  note,  and  im 
mediately  lights  twinkled  from  a  window  here,  and 
another  there,  warning  us,  that  the  intruding  day 
was  near  at  hand. 

Then  she  told  me  of  the  struggle  of  these  months 
and  years  to  preserve  her  maidenhood  for  me.  She 
knew  that  I  would  come,  she  said,  and  told  me  how 
she  had  watched  the  faces  of  strangers  and  listened 


292  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

to  the  sound  of  every  voice,  and  on  that  morning 
had  heard  and  seen  me  before  I  reached  her  house, 
and  followed  me  with  her  eyes  all  day  long.  She 
told  me  how  she  had  held  before  the  mind  of  her 
master  the  possibility  of  again  placing  her  in  the 
palace,  thereby  making  her  a  source  of  wealth  and 
power.  She  knew  vastly  more  about  the  eunuch 
than  he  did,  and  though  her  master  was  in  mortal 
fear  of  him,  she  could  keep  his  hopes  alive  to  his  all- 
mastering  passion  for  national  rank.  She  told  me 
of  their  long  flight  from  the  capital,  and  how  she, 
herself,  had  planned  so  that  there  could  be  no  trace 
of  them  found  among  his  relatives,  as  that  was  the 
only  means  she  had  to  gain  complete  control  over 
him.  While  it  would  hide  her  from  me,  yet  it  was 
the  only  way  to  protect  herself  from  the  aggressions 
of  the  Yi  clan.  She  told  me  how  her  master  at  last, 
despairing  of  a  chance  to  replace  her  in  the  palace, 
had  proposed  to  make  her  his  concubine;  and  how 
she  had  fled  to  a  precipitous  rock  on  the  mountain 
and  threatened  to  throw  herself  down  if  he  should 
attempt  to  approach  her;  how  on  that  rocky  pinna 
cle  she  had  pointed  out  to  him  the  advantage  of  her 
return,  and  had  herself  started  a  messenger  north 
ward  to  make  investigations,  and  her  master  had 
again  yielded,  and  they  were  waiting  daily  for  the 
return  of  the  messenger,  which  accounted  for  Mr. 
Yi's  fright  on  my  making  close  inquiries  regarding 
his  family.  He  feared  that  the  messenger  had  been 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  293 

detained,  and  that  I  was  a  spy,  seeking  his  life.  She 
told  me  how  she  had  long  played  upon  his  greed  for 
gold  and  rank,  and  was  afraid  of  a  time  when  his 
passion  for  her  woukl  outweigh  his  avariciousness ; 
but  now  that  I  had  come  to  claim  her,  her  troubles 
would  be  at  an  end.  The  future,  she  said,  with  a 
happy  smile,  held  no  fears  for  her. 

"At  those  times  of  struggling,  I  looked  north  and 
prayed  for  your  coming,"  said  she.  "Once  I  ran 
away,  and  I  might  have  escaped ;  but  where  ?  Fort 
unately  I  fell  in  with  a  Christian  family,  and  oh ! 
Sung-yo !  I  learned  a  great  lesson — a  lesson  of  obe 
dience  and  sacrifice.  I  learned  of  the  Christian's 
God,  and  then  returned  to  serve  my  master.  He  was 
so  glad  to  see  me  back  that  he  forgot  to  rave,  as  is 
his  wont  when  he  is  defied.  I  told  him  that  the 
Christian  religion  sent  me  back.  He  thought  that 
it  must  be  a  good  religion,  and  asked  many  ques 
tions  about  it;  but,  when  I  told  him  that  it  meant 
sacrifice  for  the  good  of  others,  and  the  giving  up 
of  ambitions,  if  they  were  for  selfish  ends,  he  asked 
no  more  questions,  but  simply  said  that  no  doubt 
it  was  a  good  thing  for  servants,  but  for  a  man  of 
affairs  like  himself,  it  was  foolish  and  undesirable." 
"O,how  I  prayed  for  your  coming! — He  answered 
me.  The  Christian  God  is  my  God,  and  I  will  ever 
more  obey  him.  I  have  never  in  all  my  years  of 
slavery  obeyed  anyone  to  whom  I  had  not  given 
will.  There  are  two  now  whom  I  will  obey — Him, 


294  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

and,  how  sweet,  to  will  my  life  into  yours.  I  am 
yours  forever  and  ever.  I  am  happy,  happy,"  and 
tears  stood  out  on  her  long  lashes. 

A  delirium  of  ecstacy  swept  through  me,  and 
somewhere  down  in  the  elemental  regions  of  the 
soul,  arose  feelings  that  caressed  with  the  voice 
where  words  were  dumb ;  and  all  my  years  of  strug 
gle  and  pain  were  as  if  they  had  never  been.  The 
moonlight  swept  back  the  shadows  of  the  mountain 
and  I  found  her  large  dark  eyes  gazing  into  mine, 
and  I  said  many  things  and  she  replied  in  words 
that  I  have  long  since  hid  away  in  the  sanctuary  of 
my  memory.  Nor  will  I  do  violence  by  entering 
there.  In  lonely  hours  I  walk  around  its  closed 
walls  with  gentle  tread  and  dumbly  feel  its  surface, 
and  when  I  press  my  lips  against  the  wall  it  glows 
and  palpitates  with  dear  words  and  looks  that  will 
never  die.  When  the  moon's  rays  bent  westward, 
aslant  in  our  faces,  we  talked  of  the  future,  and  of 
my  history.  I  told  her  of  my  family,  of  the  hunch 
back  girl  whom  I  had  seen,  for  the  second  time,  on 
the  day  that  I  had  fished  her  master  out  of  the  flood, 
to  which  she  replied  by  a  merry  laugh,  then  soberly 
said : 

"You  were  mistaken.  It  is  true  that  she  is  de 
formed,  but  she  is  intelligent,  and  more  than  all, 
affectionate,  and  I  love  her." 

I  told  her  of  the  accident  of  my  posing  as  a  seer 
on  that  island.  All  these  things  she  had  heard  from 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  295 

the  lips  of  old  Mayo.  I  told  her  of  the  few  acres  of 
rice  land  I  still  owned  in  the  region  of  Pyeng-Yang. 

Then  I  urged  her  to  flee  with  me.  Starting  in  the 
early  evening  of  the  next  night,  we  could  reach  the 
seacoast  before  pursuit  could  be  made.  Boats  were 
to  be  had  which  would  take  us  north;  then  in  the 
shadow  of  the  palace  wall  we  would  be  safe.  Tong- 
siki  was  my  powerful  friend,  and  my  father,  the 
old  Sung-ji,  though  dead,  still  had  many  friends 
who  would  do  much  under  a  promise  of  a  little 
money. 

I  painted  in  glowing  colors  the  future ;  how  Tong- 
siki  was  heading  a  new  order  of  things,  and  that  I 
had  dedicated  my  life  to  his  service  for  our  country ; 
how  she  and  I  would  bless  our  people  in  our  lives ; 
womanhood  would  be  freed  and  have  equal  rights 
with  men  in  the  law  courts ;  slavery  would  be  abol 
ished;  how  her  sweet  face  should  look  into  the  face 
of  multitudes,  as  a  mother  in  the  face  of  her  chil 
dren,  and  she  should  wipe  away  their  tears.  She 
was  silent,  and  I  thought  I  saw  in  her  face  a  re 
fusal,  and  a  strange  fear  crept  down  in  my  heart. 

"Our  country  is  calling  for  you,"  said  I.  "The 
tide  that  laps  the  shores  murmurs  the  name  of  Ewa 
— Listen !  the  breezes  that  rustle  over  these  rugged 
peaks  calls  you,  every  wild  flower  on  the  mountain 
nods  to  Ewa,  and  every  wounded  face  trodden  down 
by  the  wayside  beckons  to  you.  The  sun  will  not 
beat  upon  you,  and  the  cold  will  pass  by  another 


296  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

way;  for  nature  will  join  in  shielding  you.  Come," 
I  cried,  and  when  my  voice  broke,  she  put  her  arms 
around  my  neck  and  said: 

"I  am  yours  for  your  own  dear  sake,  and  if  that 
will  make  your  arm  strong  and  your  heart  brave  to 
dare  I  shall  be  content ;  but  listen — fifty  li  from  here 
is  a  Christian  chapel  where,  sometimes,  is  performed 
the  marriage  rite.  I  am  a  Christian.  I  was  not 
born  a  slave.  I  am  by  right  a  free  woman,  and  if  I 
will,  I  may  accompany  you  there." 

A  little  later,  we  arose  and  walked  together  to  the 
bottom  of  the  hill,  and  I  stood  a  long  time  looking 
down  the  moonlit  road  where  she  had  gone. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
UNTIL  DEATH 

WHEN  the  sun  rose,  it  found  me  twenty  li  to  the 
south,  singing  from  door  to  door.  Through  the 
forenoon  cash  flowed  into  my  hand  a  steady  stream. 
At  noon,  I  bought  my  dinner,  then  lay  down  on  the 
floor  of  an  inn  and  was  lost  in  profound  slumber. 

When  the  candle  was  lighted,  I  awoke  with  a 
start,  and  was  soon  out  on  my  way  back  to  the  vil 
lage  that  sheltered  Ewa.  In  two  hours'  time  I  stood 
with  her  by  the  side  of  the  gray  rock.  After  a  mo 
ment  of  hushed  greeting,  she  led  the  way  into  the 
street  and  turned  northward.  I  tied  her  bundle  in 
mine,  with  a  sweet  sense  of  ownership.  All  nigHt 
we  traveled  on,  and  I  wondered  at  her  buoyancy  and 
tirelessness.  When  the  light  of  day  broke  over  us 
she  trilled  and  whistled  to  the  multitude  of  birds 
that  awoke  around  us  with  their  morning  song.  In 
stead  of  the  demure  pensive  maiden,  one  always  ex 
pects,  she  was  radiant  with  life,  and  talked  of  the 
habits  of  birds  and  wild  animals  of  the  hills.  She 
ordered  me  to  stand  still  while  she  chirruped  to  a 
sparrow  till  it  was  almost  within  her  grasp,  then  she 
laughed  with  musical  sweetness.  I  trudged  heavily 
at  her  side,  feeling  my  dull  inferiority.  Each  mo- 


298  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

ment  brought  fresh  surprises,  and,  marveling,  I  tried 
to  place  her  among  other  women.  "Not  a  type  of 
a  class,  but  a  rare  specimen  of  what  our  women 
might  be,"  I  thought. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  village  of  our  destination 
Ewa  pulled  her  cloak  over  her  head  and  I  led  the 
way,  as  she  directed,  to  a  house  near  the  center  of  the 
village,  where  we  parted,  she  retiring  to  the  women's 
apartments.  The  sound  of  happy  greeting  assured 
me  that  we  were  with  friends.  The  door  was  opened 
to  me  by  the  church  caretaker,  at  the  front,  and  I 
was  bidden  to  enter  with  great  heartiness.  The 
usual  salutations  \vere  exchanged,  and  then  I  ex 
plained  the  nature  of  our  visit. 

"Just  in  time,"  was  the  reply,  "our  pastor  will 
be  here  this  afternoon.  Was  I  a  Christian?  No? 
Who  did  you  say  she  was?  That  slave  girl,  did 
you  say?" 

The  next  moment,  to  my  amazement,  he  was 
slamming  the  door  behind  him,  and  his  animated 
greetings  reached  my  ears.  The  door  swung  back 
from  its  insecure  fastenings,  and  I  saw  Ewa  de 
murely  bowing  as  any  country  maiden,  her  vivacity 
having  all  fled.  In  a  moment  my  host  was  back. 

"Of  course  you  don't  understand,"  said  he, 
briskly,  interpreting  my  look  of  inquiry.  "Chris 
tian  communities  live  differently.  We  speak  to  the 
women,  and  they  are  not  afraid  of  being  greeted. 
We  are  all  on  a  plane  of  equality.  While  they  have 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  299 

their  place  and  we  ours,  as  the  Creator  intended, 
yet  she  is  not  beneath  us  in  point  of  respect  or  privi 
leges.  Yes,  it  was  difficult  at  first.  We  had  to  sac 
rifice  some  of  the  rubbish  of  our  old  customs  and  not 
a  little  pride.  There  is  power  in  the  cross  to  make 
right  all  our  ills.  The  time  is  coming,"  he  added 
with  enthusiasm,  "when  injustice  will  be  no  more; 
when  both  men  and  women  shall  have  their  rights ; 
when  in  all  our  land  there  will  not  be  heard  the  fall 
of  the  paddle  of  the  yamens." 

It  seemed  to  be  a  favorite  topic  of  his,  and  I  was 
bewildered  with  what  the  Christians  had  accom 
plished  in  their  communities,  and  with  what  they 
proposed  to  do.  He  talked  of  what  they  had  done, 
as  Tong-siki  talked  of  what  we  would  do ;  but  then, 
I  reflected,  "they  are  dealing  with  small  groups 
of  illiterate  people;  while  we  are  working  with  the 
forces  that  are  at  the  head  of  the  nation,  and  must 
be  able,  if  successful,  to  do  in  a  day  what  will  re 
quire  many  years  for  the  Christians  to  do." 

When  the  pastor  arrived  I  was  surprised  to  see  a 
tall  Western  foreigner.  He  greeted  me  heartily.  He 
had  much  to  do  in  preparing  his  group  of  Christians 
for  an  evening  gathering,  at  which  certain  rites,  in 
connection  with  their  reception  into  the  church  were 
to  be  performed.  The  paradoxical  attitude  of  the 
Christian  teachers  astonished  me.  They  used  every 
means  possible  to  secure  a  follower,  but  made  his 
entrance  into  the  church  exacting  and  extremely 


300  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

difficult.  I  saw  discipline  as  rigid  as  that  of  an 
army;  yet  the  people  loved  the  man  who  presided 
over  them,  and  I  had  no  doubt  that  they  were  ready 
to  pluck  out  their  eyes  for  him. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  arrangements  were  made 
for  the  wedding  ceremony.  I  was  coached  on  a 
certain  formula  of  which  I  remembered  nothing.  I 
had  not  seen  Ewa  since  arriving,  and  when  she  was 
brought  in  her  head  was  covered.  A  large  body  of 
Christians  and  a  few  townspeople  crowded  the 
place,  till  they  blocked  the  doors  with  eager  faces, 
and  extended  back,  a  jostling  mass  into  the  dusty 
street.  We  were  finally  led  into  the  open  court, 
where  there  would  be  more  room.  Mats  had  been 
spread  on  the  ground,  and  someone  slung  an  awn 
ing  across  bamboo  poles,  and  the  affair  took  on  an 
appearance  of  importance.  Feeling  bewildered,  I 
asked  what  I  was  expected  to  do;  saying  that  the 
lessons  that  I  had  committed  had  eluded  my  grasp. 
I  was  told  to  do  as  ordered  at  the  time.  Then  Ewa 
was  told  to  do  as  ordered  at  the  time.  They 
smiled  when  they  saw  me  remove  a  bit  of  her  chang- 
ot1  to  see  if  it  were  really  she.  She  smiled  back  at 
me,  and  when  I  straightened  up  I  saw  only  her  dear 
face,  around  which  the  company  appeared  as  a  halo. 
I  was  repeating  answers  to  questions  as  they  were 
dictated  to  me. 


JA  face  covering  used  for  the  seclusion  of  women. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  301 

"Will  you  love  her?"  the  light-haired  preacher 
asked. 

"Why,  yes;  I  can't  help  it,"  I  replied,  and  felt 
surprised  at  the  titter  that  followed.  Then  I  re 
peated— "till  death  us  do  part." 

Then  Ewa  was  speaking  and  answered  all  their 
questions  without  prompting. 

The  ceremony  was  over  and  they  led  my  bride 
away,  and  I  drifted  into  the  crowd,  and  interest  in 
me  seemed  to  have  vanished.  I  sought  Ewa,  and,  at 
first,  had  to  converse  through  a  third  person.  Pres 
ently  she  appeared  and  requested  a  stay  for  a  few 
days. 

I  rightly  surmised  that  she  wanted  me  to  learn 
more  about  the  new  faith.  Books  were  placed  in 
my  hands  and  I  labored  with  them  faithfully  for 
three  days.  I  had  never  been  a  dull  student,  but 
here  I  made  a  complete  failure;  while  I  droned 
over  these  books  and  listened  to  enthusiastic  appeals, 
my  mind  was  elsewhere,  planning  for  our  journey 
northward.  We  must  hasten  to  the  coast,  I  thought, 
and  take  the  coast  steamer  without  delay.  I  gave 
ready  assent  to  everything.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
the  Christians  were  good,  the  world  was  good,  ancl 
even  the  round  face  of  the  rich  Yi  was  tolerable.  v  - 

During  these  days,  I  saw  nothing  of  my  bride 
except  a  silent  greeting  now  and  then  at  the  door 
of  the  women's  apartments,  or  a  privileged  glance 
at  her  as  she  stood  among  the  other  worshipers.  On 


302  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

a  certain  afternoon,  I  followed  her  out  on  the  hill 
side  among  the  second  growth  pines,  and  she  told 
me  the  whole  story  of  her  life ;  how  she  had  grown 
up  with  better  favored  children,  and  had  observed 
all  that  they  learned ;  how  they  became  willing  asso 
ciates;  and  how  she  loved  to  compel  them  to  search 
her  out  and  ask  favors  of  her;  how,  in  a  spirit  of 
amusement,  someone  had  tried  to  teach  her  to  read ; 
and  how  she  never  forgot  a  character  and  sought 
eagerly  for  more,  and  soon  astonished  her  master  by 
supplying  a  Chinese  character  that  he  wanted  in  a 
certain  letter  he  was  writing  to  a  magistrate;  how 
she  spent  every  hour  possible  in  the  woods,  be 
coming  familiar  with  the  birds,  dumb  animals  and 
insects;  how  some  regarded  her  with  superstitious 
reverence;  how  she  had  conquered  her  master  and 
put  her  life  in  the  task;  how  he  feared  and  loved 
her;  and  how  she  feared  him.  While  talking  she 
had  been  looking  steadily  in  my  face  and  suddenly 
asked : 

"Do  you  believe?" 

"Yes !  that  is,  I  suppose  so,  I  believe  you,  and  re 
ligion  is  a  part  of  you."  She  looked  away  with  a 
baffled  air  and  seeing  her  distress,  "Tell  me,"  I 
urged,  "I  will  listen." 

"No  one  can  tell  you  more.  It  is  doing,  not  hear 
ing,"  she  replied,  and  a  look  of  suffering  came  over 
her  face.  I  was  angry  with  the  Christians,  but  be 
fore  I  could  say  anything  she  spoke: 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  303 

"Do  you  know  where  I  must  go  when  we  leave 
here?" 

"Go?"  I  repeated,  "to  the  capital  where  we  shall 
be  secure  from  pursuit,"  and  I  was  on  the  point  of 
launching  out  with  a  minute  description  of  the  plans 
that  I  had  materialized  for  our  safety,  and  the  happy 
future  in  store  for  us.  Her  look  of  pain  deepened 
and  checked  my  words. 

"Do  you  know  what  I  have  made  you?"  she 
asked. 

"A  happy  man,"  I  said,  and  laughed  loudly. 
Tears  came  into  her  eyes,  and  I  bent  down  playfully 
to  laugh  away  her  mood,  she  lifted  her  hands,  and  I 
sat  down  by  her  side  soberly. 

"See!"  said  she,  extending  her  wrist,  "a  long 
time  ago  some  superstitious  impulse  seized  my  mas 
ter  to  have  me  branded  or  marked  in  some  way.  He 
remembered  an  old  tradition  of  our  race,  that  our 
ancestors  tattooed  their  bodies.  If  he  has  an  idea, 
however  erratic,  he  never  releases  it,  and  in  time 
he  brought  a  needle  and  pigments,  and  tattooed  the 
sign  of  the  cross  on  my  arm,  performing  the  work 
with  his  own  hands.  His  superstition  infected  me, 
and  I  believed  I  was  to  become  a  victim  of  the  cross, 
indeed,  there  were  times  when  I  should  have  wel 
comed  that  instrument  of  torture  if  it  would  have  re 
leased  me  from  pending  dangers.  I  often  went  to 
the  store-room  where  the  heavy  piece  of  wood  was 
kept,  and  passed  my  hand  over  it;  it  seemed  terri- 


304  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

ble  to  me,  yet  I  often  sat  by  it  and  stroked  it  with 
my  hands,  as  if  it  were  a  living  thing.  You  know 
that  on  our  street  corners  there  are  found  the  vil 
lage  idols  with  their  hideous  faces.  Well,  on  the 
rough  front  of  the  cross  I  could  see  a  face,  and  in  the 
superstition  of  my  childhood,  I  talked  to  it  and 
promised  that  some  day  I  would  embrace  it  and  yield 
my  life  there.  In  these  morbid  fancies  I  would 
often,  in  my  dreams,  feel  the  thongs  on  my  wrists 
and  ankles,  and  feel  the  cross  under  me. 

"When  I  thought  you  were  to  be  sacrificed  in  the 
city  of  Pyeng-Yang,  I  wanted  you  with  all  my  soul. 
I  knew  your  previous  national  rank  and  the  con 
descension  you  made  in  loving  a  slave.  I  knew  that 
you  could  never  marry  me,  but  I  wanted  to  mark 
you  as  a  slave,  then  I  could  visit  your  grave  and  call 
it  mine.  I,  therefore,  crept  into  your  cell  that  awful 
night  in  Pyeng-Yang. 

"Finally  I  became  a  Christian,  and  the  thing  of 
shame  and  expected  instrument  of  my  death,  I  found 
to  be  an  emblem  of  holiness  and  victory."  She 
paused,  and  commenced  humming  a  Christian  hymn 
in  a  sad,  low  voice,  "In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory." 
"Then  all  my  fear  of  the  heavy  beam,"  she  added, 
"was  gone,  and  I  became  proud  of  the  mark  on  my 
arm  and  made  a  vow  to  Him  who  yielded  up  his  life 
on  the  cross  that  I  would  be  true  to  Him ;  and  I  saw 
in  the  cross  the  hope  of  Korea,  and  not  her  misery 
and  ruin. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  305 

"Then,  at  last,  Sung-yo,  you  did  find  me  as  I 
hoped  and  feared — you  came — and  my  soul  knew 
you  for  its  master — the  only  human  being  that  has 
been  its  master."  Here  her  voice  sank  to  a  whisper 
and  her  eyes  for  the  first  time  fell  to  the  ground,  and 
she  continued:  "I  yielded  to  you  my  heart;  nay,  a 
storm  seized  me  and  swept  me  to  you ;  and,  after  I 
had  done  the  irrevocable  thing  and  had  broken  my 
vow,  I  thought  that  you  would  become  a  Christian 
and  understand." 

"Understand!"  I  gasped. 

"I  thought,"  she  continued  in  the  same  low  tone, 
"if  you  knew  Him,  you  would  know  what  duty 
means — how  one  can  cheerfully  lay  aside  friends 
and  the  fruits  of  years  of  sacrifice,  with  love  and 
hope  and  life."  Her  face  grew  white  and  she  mois 
tened  her  lips  and  lifting  those  wonderful  eyes  to 
my  face,  continued,  "I  must  go  back  to  my  master." 

I  looked  at  her  for  some  moments  and  tried  to 
solve  the  riddle  with  a  feeling  of  numbness  creep 
ing  over  me.  After  a  few  moments  waiting,  the 
force  of  her  words  dawned  upon  me. 

"Go  back?"  I  repeated,  "go  back  to  your  master? 
but  you  belong  to  me — you  were  not  born  a  slave — 
you  were  stolen  from  freedom  and  your  father  was 
murdered  and  your  mother  was  also  sold  into  worse 
than  slavery  and  her  baby  torn  from  her  arms ;  and 
you — what  had  you  done  in  your  innocent  baby 
hood  that  you  should  live  under  the  lash  ?  By  what 


306  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

law,  whether  Christian,  or  otherwise,  are  you  re 
quired  to  return  to  him?  Nay,  but  does  not  a  just 
law  rather  insist  that  you  have  the  rights  of  liberty? 
Indeed,  what  is  this  Christian  law  that  strengthens 
the  hands  of  the  vicious  and  cruel,  and  is  ready  to 
seize  a  helpless,  bruised  captive  and  return  her  to 
a  monstrous  enemy,  to  be  torn  and  trampled  under 
foot?  Nay,  I  am  more  just  than  your  new  faith, 
dear  maiden.  I  swear  by  all  that  is  good,  and  I 
must  include  your  God,  that  I  shall  give  every  ounce 
of  my  flesh  and  my  last  drop  of  blood,  rather  than 
let  you  fall  into  the  power  of  your  old  master.  You 
are  mine  by  your  Christian  laws;  for  were  we  not 
wedded  under  those  laws,  and  did  they  not  say  you 
were  mine?  Then  if  mine,  how,  then,  his?  Said  it 
not  till  death  ?  You  are  mine !  mine !  mine !" 

I  spoke  with  passion  and  a  feeling  of  intense  hate 
for  the  rich  Yi  sprung  up  in  my  heart.  "I  will 
kill  him,"  I  thought. 

She  took  my  hand  and  held  it  to  her  cheek  and 
tried  to  soothe  me  for  I  was  trembling  with  ex 
citement.  She  gave  vent  to  notes  of  music — words 
of  no  language,  but  resembling  the  soft  tones  of  a 
cooing  dove ;  its  tender  yearning  sweetness  drove  my 
passion  from  me. 

Finally  she  said,  "That  is  why  I  said  I  broke  my 
vow,  I  have  done  you  a  great  and  terrible  wrong." 
I  attempted  to  speak  but  she  checked  me.  "In  my 
weakness  I  proposed  to  you  a  means  of  our  mar- 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  307 

riage  and  was  happy.  Alas  for  our  happiness!  I 
am  strong  now.  You  are  right  regarding  the 
cruelty  and  ruin  worked  against  me  and  my  family. 
I  do  not  propose  to  return  to  my  master  because 
they  killed  my  father  and  sold  my  mother  into  slav 
ery  ;  but,  because  I  fled  from  my  master  as  a  crimi 
nal  flees  from  justice,  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  law  I 
have  merited  punishment.  Thereby  have  I  brought 
my  new  faith  into  contempt.  The  people  will  say 
that  the  Christians  are  thieves  and  encourage  law 
lessness.  Think  not  that  my  bondage  is  not  hateful 
to  me,  or  that  the  presence  of  the  rich  Yi  does  not 
fill  my  soul  with  moral  nausea,  and  that  the  life 
vvith  you  would  not  be  sweet,  but  I  have  another 
Master,  whom  I  must  not  disobey.  For  his  sake  I 
must  give  up  happiness  and  go  back  to  my  terrible 
bondage."  She  paused,  then  spoke  rapidly,  as  if  in 
fear  of  losing  her  courage. 

"For  you  to  return  with  me  means  that  you  are 
also  a  slave  in  the  eyes  of  our  law.  You  have  a 
great  work  with  your  friend  Tong-siki,  and  the 
slave  girl  would  be  a  curse  in  your  home.  While 
our  hearts  are  young,  we  might  ignore  the  opinion 
of  others;  but  a  time  would  come  when  your  slave 
wife  would  be  a  blight  upon  your  life.  Who  in  that 
proud  capital  would  accept  you,  who,  according  to 
our  laws,  as  long  as  bound  to  me,  is  as  much  a  slave 
as  I?" 

"It  would  be  vain  to  hope  that  my  master  would 


308  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

part  with  me  unless,  indeed,  you  could  place  him 
in  power  at  the  capital,  but  your  own  principles  for 
bid  such  an  act  even  though  the  gift  might  lay  in 
your  hand.  I  am  your  wife.  Cruel  death  may  find 
me  sometime,  but  it  will  be  as  your  virgin  wife." 
Her  voice  had  grown  lower  and  lower,  and  broke 
at  last. 

"When  will  you  go?"  I  asked,  as  if  I  had  accepted 
her  arrangements. 

"After  dark  to-night,"  she  replied,  searching  my 
face,  as  if  disappointed  that  I  had  accepted  her 
decision. 

The  next  night  found  us  on  our  way  back,  and 
Ewa's  protestations  grew  feeble  when  I  announced 
that  I  was  going  with  her,  and  a  positive  happiness 
rang  out  in  her  voice. 


CHAPTER    XXIV 
FOR  CONSCIENCE'  SAKE 

THE  dawn  had  just  set  loose  its  thousands  of 
echoes  when  we  arrived  at  the  village  where  lived 
the  rich  Yi.  As  we  made  our  appearance  in  his 
compound,  a  huzz  of  excitement  went  over  the  place. 
Ewa's  absence  had  not  been  noticed;  everyone  sup 
posing  that  she  was  still  at  the  retreat  where  her 
master  had  tried  to  hide  her  from  me;  at  that  place 
it  was  thought  she  had  returned  to  her  master. 
Outside  of  her  master's  immediate  presence  she  was 
in  the  habit  of  doing  as  she  chose,  and,  having 
hinted  of  leaving,  no  one  had  raised  any  inquiry. 
Seeing  me  in  her  company  seemed  to  argue  trouble 
from  Seoul,  and  the  suspicion  that  I  was  a  spy  was 
confirmed. 

Soon  Ewa's  master  appeared  as  if  in  great  haste, 
and  when  he  saw  me  his  jaw  fell,  and  stammering 
wanted  to  know  when  I  had  come  back,  and  where 
I  was  going.  Ewa  took  the  matter  out  of  my  hands 
and  making  room  for  her  master  and  me  to  sit 
down,  remained  standing  in  a  respectful  attitude. 

"Listen,"  said  she,  "I  have  something  to  tell  you. 
Years  ago  I  had  a  father  and  he  was  wealthy,  more 
wealthy,  if  my  baby  memory  serves  me  right,  than 


3io  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

you,  sir,  have  ever  been.  He  was  seized  one  day 
by  a  magistrate  and  beaten  until  he  signed  away  all 
his  property,  and  his  mangled  body  was  brought 
home.  We  took  refuge  in  a  servant's  quarters. 
There  lived  in  that  town  a  man  by  your  name,  sir, 
and  for  information  and  aid  to  the  magistrate,  he 
reaped  large  benefits  from  my  father's  property. 
The  night  after  my  father's  burial,  a  party  of  young 
men  came  from  the  home  of  this  neighbor  who  had 
caused  our  ruin  and  tried  to  seize  my  mother  and 
carry  her  to  his  home,  to  a  life  infinitely  worse  than 
that  of  slavery.  She  fled  with  me  on  her  back.  For 
a  time  fortune  was  kind  to  us,  but,  after  days  of 
exposure  and  hunger  and  weariness,  we  were  over 
taken  and  my  mother  sold  on  the  street  as  you  would 
sell  a  wandering  horse  or  cow.  I  was  torn  from 
her  arms  and,  to  confuse  my  mind  in  the  matter,  I 
was  passed  through  the  hands  of  several  persons 
under  pretense  of  a  sale,  until  I  was  finally  owned 
as  a  slave  by  the  man  who  caused  the  murder  of 
my  father." 

During  the  recital  Mr.  Yi  had  moved  uneasily 
and  his  face  became  livid;  he  made  as  if  to  speak. 
"Wait!"  said  she,  "I  have  more  to  say.  I  hated 
the  hand  that  fed  me.  I  saw  on  it  the  blood  of  my 
father  and  mother.  I  was  obedient,  but  often  looked 
at  my  face  in  deep  pools,  and  resolved  that,  at  some 
time,  I  would  throw  away  the  life  that  was  becom 
ing  intolerable  under  the  control  of  a  murderer. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  311 

Then  there  came  into  my  life  a  face  with  true, 
simple  manhood,  and  he  gave  himself  to  me,  not  in 
words,  but  by  looks — then  I  wanted  to  live.  I  saw 
him  stricken  down  and  I  supposed  dead  on  a  battle 
field,  and  again  I  sought  the  pools  for  escape. 
Finally  I  fled  from  my  master's  home  and  I  found 
the  Christian's  God,  who  sent  me  back  to  him,  and 
taught  me  to  look  at  his  red  hands  with  peace  in 
my  heart.  A  few  days  ago  the  dead  came  back  to 
me,"  and  she  laid  her  hand  in  mine  as  she  spoke, 
"and  we  went  to  a  Christian  chapel  and  were  mar 
ried  according  to  the  ordinances  of  God.  He  is  my 
husband — yea,  I  am  his  forever.  In  a  few  days  we 
might  have  been  in  Seoul  under  the  protection  of 
powerful  friends,  but  I  came  back  because  I  am  a 
Christian,  and  he,  also." 

She  had  not  taken  her  eyes  from  her  master's 
face  from  the  beginning,  and  spoke  in  a  low,  clear 
voice.  He  had  been  looking  from  face  to  face,  and 
when  she  said  married,  he  caught  his  breath,  and 
when  she  ceased  speaking,  looked  as  if  he  had  re 
ceived  a  mortal  blow.  "Married !"  he  echoed,  "mar 
ried,  did  you  say?  when?"  "Four  days  ago." 

He  staggered  to  his  feet  and  lowered  a  moment, 
swaying  like  a  drunken  man,  his  face  purple  with 
wrath.  I  had  risen  with  him,  and  -Ewa  stood  with 
her  large  eyes  fixed  upon  his  face,  her  lips  white. 
His  words  came  in  muffled  sounds,  without  articu 
lation,  first  like  base  rumblings,  then  in  a  high  fal- 


312  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

setto.  I  touched  Ewa's  arm  and  we  stepped  out  into 
the  open  yard.  He  followed  and  tramped  back  and 
forth  in  brute  fury.  Finally  his  words  were  clear 
enough. 

"Curse  her !  kill  her !  kill  them !  hate  me,  did  you  ? 
hand  red,  is  it?  murderer,  you  say?" 

I  noticed  a  division  among  the  servants;  two, 
who  evidently  had  been  in  his  service  a  long  time, 
stood  attention,  seemingly  expecting  to  receive  an 
order  to  perform  some  service,  while  others,  em 
ployed  from  the  immediate  section,  shrank  from 
him. 

Presently  he  broke  in  a  long  stream  of  invec 
tives,  reviling  his  slave  and  coupling  my  name  with 
hers  in  passionate  denunciation.  He  strode  up  to 
her  with  uplifted  hand  as  if  to  strike,  and  shot  his 
face  out  into  hers;  she  did  not  flinch;  indeed,  she 
had  not  taken  her  eyes  from  his  face  since  he  began 
to  rave. 

So  far  I  had  not  said  a  word.  She  had  adroitly 
concentrated  his  whole  attention  upon  herself,  and  if 
I  had  left  her  alone  with  the  problem,  how  different 
the  results  might  have  been !  When  I  saw  his  hand 
raised,  my  blood  leaped,  and  in  an  instant  I  had 
struck  him  across  the  cheek,  a  blow  that  staggered 
him  and  made  my  hand  tingle  long  afterward.  In 
stantly  he  was  upon  me  like  a  mad  bull ;  with  a 
club  I  felled  him  to  the  ground.  The  next  moment 
a  dozen  hands  were  at  my  throat  and  I  lay  on  the 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  313 

ground  some  yards  from  him,  my  hands  pinioned 
behind  me.  Slowly  he  raised  his  fat  body  from  the 
ground ;  wiped  the  blood  from  his  forehead,  where 
I  had  hit  him ;  at  the  sight  of  which  his  fury  knew 
no  bounds;  seizing  the  stick  that  I  had  dropped  he 
lunged  at  me  and  I  knew  that  it  meant  death;  then, 
at  a  bound,  Ewa  was  between  us. 

He  paused  and  looked  her  over,  and  laughed  a 
diabolical  laugh.  "I  kill  my  slaves  when  I  want  to 
and  have  no  more  use  for  them ;  four  days  ago,  did 
you  say?"  Then  he  called  to  his  servants.  Two 
of  them  seized  Ewa  by  the  wrists,  while  a  third 
tugged  at  a  lock  on  a  door  opening  directly  upon 
the  yard,  but  moved  with  slow  reluctance.  Yi 
cursed  the  man  and  with  his  own  hands  tore  the 
door  from  its  fastenings.  A  heavy  cross  was 
dragged  out,  and  at  sight  of  it  fiendish  delight  filled 
his  soul. 

Ewa  was  unresistingly  laid  on  the  cross  face 
downward,  her  arms  extended,  and  with  his  own 
fingers,  her  master  tied  her  arms  and  feet,  the  while 
cursing  and  reviling;  then  over  her  clothing  he 
poured  a  pail  of  water  that  the  paddle  might  bite 
the  harder. 

The  head  servant  was  commanded  to  strike;  he 
lifted  the  paddle  over  his  head  and  it  came  down 
with  a  thud;  but  so  skillfully  aimed  that  the  end 
struck  the  ground,  doing  the  girl  no  harm.  Again 
and  again  he  struck  fierce  blows,  but  they  hurt  her 


314  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

not.  I  called  and  begged  them  to  put  me  in  Ewa's 
place;  I  threatened;  I  promised  money;  I  pleaded 
and  commanded. 

"Your  turn  is  coming,  son  of  Sung-ji,  slave !" 
he  raved. 

Suddenly  he  saw  that  the  beating  was  a  farce,  and 
seizing  the  paddle  from  the  hands  of  his  minion,  he 
struck  the  girl  a  terrible  blow.  There  was  a  shock, 
an  upward  spasmodic  throw  of  the  head,  but  no 
word  escaped  her.  Again  and  again  he  struck  her, 
but  still  she  made  no  sign.  At  each  blow  I  writhed 
and  tugged  at  the  thongs,  and  cursed  the  man  that 
bound  me.  Then  one  of  the  servants  eagerly  offered 
to  do  the  beating,  and  reaching  out  his  hands,  he 
interfered  with  the  descending  paddle,  and  instead 
of  falling  on  the  thighs  of  the  girl  it  struck  her 
across  the  back.  A  shudder  ran  through  her  frame, 
and  she  laid  her  head  down  on  the  rough  beam.  He 
again  raised  the  paddle  and  struck  her  across  the 
thighs,  as  he  had  intended,  but  she  felt  it  not.  A 
servant  begged  him  to  look  at  her  face,  and  he 
stopped  beating.  Others  cut  the  thongs  that  bound 
her  hands  and  feet,  but  she  did  not  move;  then 
they  picked  her  up  and  carried  her  into  a  room 
near  at  hand  and  laid  her  on  the  floor.  Her  master 
looked  after  her  with  his  hands  hanging  helplessly 
at  his  side,  his  fury  gone. 

Someone  cut  my  hands  loose  and  I  ran  to  Ewa ; 
no  one  interfered.  I  called  for  water  and  it  was 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  315 

brought.  I  took  her  head  in  my  lap  and  called  her 
by  name— "Ewa!  Ewa!  O,  Ewa!"— I  bathed  her 
head  and  hands  and  then  laid  my  cheek  against  hers, 
and  hung  her  arms  around  my  neck,  but  they 
dropped  limply  at  her  side.  A  drop  of  blood  was  on 
her  lips  and  I  kissed  it  away;  I  forgot  the  presence 
of  others  and  begged  her  to  wake  up  and  come  out 
with  me  where  the  birds  were  singing.  "The  quail 
is  whistling  for  you,  Ewa,"  I  cried,  "the  flowers  are 
nodding  with  smiles  for  you;  every  blade  of  grass 
is  a  beckoning  hand.  Come,  Ewa,  wake  up,  come 
with  me." 

Heavy  breathing  at  the  door  caused  me  to  glance 
up ;  Yi  stood  alone,  his  face  drawrn  and  old.  When 
he  saw  Ewa's  face  he  stumbled  back  into  the  yard, 
and  I  heard  prolonged  waitings — "I-go-o-o." 

At  sight  of  him,  a  fury  for  revenge  surged 
through  me,  and  laying  the  dear  head  down  I  went 
out  into  the  yard  with  a  terrible  resolve  burning  in 
my  breast,  but  what  I  saw  stayed  the  tide  of  passion. 
Yi,  with  his  head  down  on  the  ground,  was  wailing 
as  our  people  wail  for  the  dead.  He  had  picked  up 
a  stone  and  was  beating  his  own  head  with  it  and 
crying  in  unmistakable  anguish.  I  kicked  him  sav 
agely  and  he  looked  me  over  as  if  his  eyes  had  not 
taken  me  in. 

Returning  to  Ewa,  I  straightened  her  limbs,  and 
again  bathed  her  face  and  hands.  Presently  her 
color  returned  and  eyelids  trembled.  She  looked  up, 


316  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

dazed,  and  I  held  my  breath,  waiting  for  a  sign  of 
consciousness.  Presently  she  looked  into  my  eyes 
and  smiled,  and  I  bathed  her  face  in  tears.  "Don't," 
said  she,  and  placed  her  arms  about  my  neck.  I 
laughed  and  asked  her  if  she  would  sit  up.  "Come," 
I  said,  "we  are  free,  let  us  go."  Her  arms  fell 
away  wearily,  and  she  looked  at  me  long,  with  a 
puzzled  expression  on  her  face  which  changed  to 
pain,  then  to  pity.  Finally  she  asked  me  to  raise 
her  feet;  I  did  so,  and  she  watched  me  intently  and 
sighed. 

"They  are  dead,"  she  whispered,  "they  are  dead." 
An  ugly,  deformed  girl  crept  in  at  the  open  door 
and  held  Ewa's  hand.  "More  deformed  than  you, 
mistress,"  Ewa  said.  "I  am  half  dead,  while  you 
may  walk  and  live."  Presently  she  asked  for  a 
needle  and  pressed  the  point  into  her  limbs,  "dead !" 
she  said,  "dead!" 

I  put  my  face  down  to  hers.  "Better  had  it  been 
if  I  had  not  wakened, "she  whispered,  then  she  closed 
her  eyes  and  appeared  to  sleep,  but  finally  opened 
them  and  smiled  up  in  my  face. 

"I  have  thought  it  all  out.  You  must  return  to 
your  people  and  fight  the  battles  for  our  country 
with  your  friend.  You  said  many  things  that  made 
me  happy;  chief  of  all  was  the  prospect  of  living 
to  help  other  women;  I  would  be  a  burden  now. 
My  master  will  not  beat  me  any  more,  he  will  have 
to  feed  and  clothe  that  which  he  has  mangled,  while 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  317 

life  lasts.  He  beat  me  because  he  loved  and — hated 
me;  he  will  love  me  no  more,  nor  will  he  hate  me, 
now  that  there  will  be  no  cause  for  jealousy.  He 
wanted  a  bright  toy  that  he  always  both  feared  and 
loved,  then  he  trampled  it  beneath  his  feet;  he  will 
look  at  the  battered  body  and  wonder  why  he  cared 
anything  for  it.  I  will  suffer  no  more  with  him 
than — "  here  she  paused  and  battled  with  her  feel 
ings,  "than  I  would  with  you.  I  would  like  to  look 
in  your  eyes  and  have  you  touch  my  hand,  and  your 
voice  would  soothe  the  pain,  and  you  would  tell 
me  about  the  birds  and  flowers,  but  that  would  bur 
den  you.  When  a  woman  is  useless  she  should  be 
thrown  away.  God  made  her  so." 

I  protested  in  tears  my  love  and  constancy.  I 
said  that  she  had  offered  her  body  to  be  battered 
and  bruised  for  me;  that  if  she  had  not  inter 
fered  I  would  have  been  a  worse  mangled  heap  than 
she. 

"Leave  you  here?  Never!  Where  I  go,  Ewa, 
you  go.  I  followed  you  as  a  boy  races  over  the 
fields  after  the  thistledown,  I  sought  through  toil 
and  want,  through  heat  and  cold,  but  you  were 
always  just  beyond  my  grasp.  I  wearied  not 
through  the  years,  and  when,  at  last,  I  held  you  in 
my  grasp,  the  years  of  struggle  were  as  nothing  for 
the  joy  of  possessing  you;  but  I  seized  you  too 
rudely,  and  now  you  are  crushed  and  broken.  If 
I  had  not  struck  your  master,  he  had  not  bruised 


318  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

you.  You  gave  your  life  for  me,  Ewa.  Leave  you 
Ewa  ?  Never !"  She  looked  up  with  a  glad  light. 

"Say  it  again!"  she  said,  "say  it  again,  say  'you 
gave  your  life  for  me,  Ewa/  ' 

"You  gave  your  life  for  me,  Ewa/'  I  repeated. 
She  smiled  and  closed  her  eyes  in  evident  physical 
pain.  Later  she  looked  up. 

"Go !"  she  said,  "you  are  his  slave  as  much  as 
I ;  he  will  mangle  your  body  worse  than  mine.  Go !" 
she  whispered  through  white  lips,  "go  while  you 
have  time."  I  answered  by  putting  my  cheek 
against  hers;  she  looked  baffled,  but  smiled. 

I  watched  at  her  side  through  the  day,  and  when 
her  mind  wandered,  a  great  anguish  crept  down  in 
my  heart  and  I  feared  what  my  lips  refused  to  name. 

The  hunchback  dressed  the  bruised  body  with  a 
tenderness  and  dexterity  that  surprised  me,  and  I 
wondered  that  I  had  ever  thought  her  foolish. 

When  night  closed  in  I  remembered  that  I  had 
not  seen  Yi  since  morning,  and  that  his  wailings 
had  soon  died  out.  I  went  out  into  the  yard  with 
reckless  indifference  to  danger,  sought  for  him  as 
a  person  does  a  reptile,  whose  proximity  is  intol 
erable,  yet  fascinated  with  a  horror  of  its  nearness. 
I  searched  through  the  grounds  and  noted  the 
absence  of  servants;  then  I  smiled  with  the  fierce 
gladness  at  the  thought  that  they  had  fled  to  escape 
complication  with  the  law,  and  that  other  members 
of  the  family  were  cowering  in  some  neighboring 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  319 

ward,  leaving  me  to  uninterrupted  revenge.  At  the 
end  of  the  compound  I  tugged  open  a  door;  on  the 
farther  side  of  the  room  sat  the  object  of  my  hate. 
I  had  picked  up  an  ironing  club  and  at  a  bound  stood 
over  him,  "Die !"  I  said,  through  clinched  teeth. 

He  looked  up  with  a  dull  light  in  his  eyes,  and 
raised  no  hand  in  defense;  "die!"  he  repeated,  and 
chuckled  softly  to  himself  then  he  looked  across 
the  room  and  his  jaws  dropped,  and  he  twined  his 
fingers  foolishly.  He  had  dragged  the  cross  into  the 
room  and  was  looking  at  the  terrible  instrument  of 
torture.  "She  was  there,"  he  whispered  confiden 
tially,  "I  saw  her  with  blood  on  her  lips." 

My  hand  dropped  to  my  side  and  I  backed  out 
of  the  room,  and  left  him  still  gazing  at  the  cross, 
a  silly  look  on  his  face.  "Justice,"  I  thought,  "has 
already  taken  its  revenge." 

I  found  Ewa  with  a  bright  spot  on  either  cheek, 
and  her  mind  wandering.  She  talked  of  her  walks 
among  the  groves  that  she  loved  so  well,  of  picking 
flowers  and  listening  to  the  birds.  All  night  long 
I  sat  on  one  side,  and  the  hunchback  girl  on  the 
other.  It  was  evident  that  the  slave  girl  had  been 
greatly  loved  by  her  young  mistress.  In  the  early 
morning  Ewa  asked  for  water,  and  as  I  held  the 
cup  to  her  lips  she  smiled  into  my  face. 

"It  is  better,"  said  she,  "you  need  not  leave  me 
now,  it  will  not  be  long,  and  then  you  will  not  Be 
a  slave."  She  then  looked  at  her  wrist. 


320  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"It  was  the  cross,  my  ruin/'  she  sighed,  "and  my 
hope,  the  hope  of  Korea,  Sung-yo.  I  have  a  request 
— will  you  grant  it,  Sung-yo?" 

"With  my  life,"  I  replied. 

"Bury  me  secretly,  and  do  not  bring  my  master 
before  the  magistrate ;  I  am  only  a  slave  and  it  will 
be  easy.  Only  a  complaint  from  you  would  cause 
his  punishment.  'Vengeance  is  mine,  saith  the 
Lord,'  "  she  quoted  with  faltering  voice. 

I  promised. 

"And,  Sung-yo?" 

"Yes." 

"You  will  not  seek  personal  revenge?" 

"No." 

"The  rock  where  we  sat  in  the  moonlight,  when 
I  came  to  you — the  wild  pigeon  nest  in  the  top  of 
it — bury  me  in  its  shadow,  Sung-yo — in  the  place 
where  we  sat  and  I  was  happy,  Sung-yo — and — 
Sung-yo  ?" 

"Yes." 

"The  Christians  do  not  swathe  the  dead  with 
bandages,  but  dress  them  as  if  living,  and  leave  their 
faces  uncovered,  and  lay  them  away  tenderly,  as  if 
they  were  going  to  sleep.  You  will  look  in  my 
face,  Sung-yo,  before  they  drop  the  cold  earth 
upon  it?" 

"Yes,  Ewa,"  I  sobbed. 

"Now,  say  it  again — 'you  gave  your  life  for  me, 
Ewa.'  " 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  321 

"You  gave  your  life  for  me,  Ewa,"  I  repeated, 
and  she  smiled. 

"O!  Sung-yo,  would  that  I  could  give  you  a 
thousand  lives.  My  arms  are  heavy,  Sung-yo — lift 
them  up  and  put  them  around  your  neck — so." 

"On  the  Pyeng-Yang  battlefield  you  promised 
that  somewhere,  where  men's  spirits  roam,  you 
would  meet  me.  You  will,  Sung-yo?" 

"Yes,  Ewa." 

Her  voice  staggered  and  her  arms  fell  limply  at 
her  side,  and  when  she  spoke  again  it  was  in  a 
whisper. 

"The  cr— oss,  S— Sung-yo." 

I  closed  the  dear  eyes,  and  the  hunchback  girl, 
with  streaming  face,  brought  in  garments,  some  of 
which  I  knew  to  be  her  own,  made  of  the  finest  silk. 
How  beautiful  Ewa  looked !  It  was,  as  she  had  said, 
simply  going  to  sleep. 

When  night  fell  again,  I  labored  at  the  foot  of 
the  great  rock,  and  the  shadows  of  the  mountain 
covered  my  misery.  My  pick  struck  deep  into  the 
bosom  of  tender  memories,  and  each  blow  deepened 
my  anguish. 

The  procuring  of  a  coffin  would  raise  questions 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  I  would  not  be  able  to  keep 
my  promise,  so  I  made  a  bed  of  pine  boughs  at  the 
bottom  of  the  grave. 

An  hour  before  daylight  I  had  returned  to  the 
hut  and  fastened  my  precious  dead  in  a  long  mat 


322  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

and  raised  it  to  my  shoulders.  The  village  was  hid 
in  slumber,  and  followed  only  by  the  faithful  hunch 
back  girl,  I  staggered  up  the  mountainside  and  laid 
my  burden  tenderly  down  beside  the  open  grave. 

We  had  no  need  of  a  lantern ;  the  moonlight  had 
driven  back  the  shadows  of  the  mountain,  and  I 
laid  the  remains  of  my  bride  on  a  pillow  of  pine 
boughs  with  the  damp,  cold  earth  walling  it  in.  Then 
I  lit  a  handful  of  pine  splinters;  when  the  light  flick 
ered  and  went  out,  I  covered  her  face  with  a  bit  of 
matting.  I  picked  up  the  hoe,  but  my  fingers  refused 
to  hold  it,  then  I  went  to  the  foot  of  the  grave  and 
arranged  the  dear  feet,  and  tried  to  sprinkle  them 
with  earth. 

The  hunchback  girl  took  the  hoe  from  my  trem 
bling  hand,  and  I  climbed  out  on  the  warm  earth 
and  hid  my  face  between  the  loose  sod  and  the  rock, 
and  covered  my  ears.  When  the  light  of  morning 
spread  over  the  mountain,  I  arose  and  took  the  hoe 
from  the  blistered,  trembling  hands,  and  rounded 
the  mound  of  earth  high  and  pressed  it  smooth — ten 
derly,  as  if  my  fingers  were  touching  her  dear  face. 
A  delicate,  hemp  sandal  lay  on  the  ground  and  I 
picked  it  up  and  hid  it  in  my  bosom.  Over  my  head, 
on  the  top  of  the  naked  rock,  a  dove  cooed  for  its 
mate,  and  I  turned  my  face  northward  to  the  distant 
hills,  and  the  anguish  swelled  within  me. 


CHAPTER    XXV 
DANGERS  AHEAD 

A  STEAMER  was  announced  off  at  sea,  and  I  went 
down  to  the  jetty  to  watch  with  others  who  were 
anxious  to  take  passage  northward.  I  had  been 
waiting  a  week  at  the  port  of  Kun-san,  with  a  score 
of  others,  for  the  incoming  steamer.  Their  anima 
tion  and  hopelessness  at  sight  of  the  smoke  on  the 
horizon,  stirred  no  response  in  my  heart.  When 
the  anchor  dropped  out  in  the  bay,  I  took  a  sanpan,1 
rode  out  and  climbed  up  the  gangway. 

A  Japanese  sailor  addressed  me  in  a  coarse  lan 
guage,  and  I  was  compelled  to  show  my  ticket  to  a 
dozen  irresponsible  persons,  but  I  cared  nothing  for 
these  things. 

A  few  hours  later  we  were  steaming  out  to  sea. 
I  leaned  on  the  rail  and  fixed  my  eyes  on  the  south 
ern  horizon,  beyond  which,  somewhere,  was  a 
mound,  and  I  looked  as  I  have  done  each  day,  and 
shall  do  through  the  years. 

Before  darkness  settled  over  the  sea  dinner  was 
announced  for  steerage  passengers,  and  I  went  be 
low.  We  had  reached  the  open  sea,  and  the  steamer 
rolled  and  pitched  in  a  most  alarming  way.  On 

1 Japanese  row-boat. 

323 


324  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

shore  some  had  eaten  nothing  that  clay,  in  order 
that  they  might  be  able  to  take  the  value  of  their 
passage  money  out  of  the  company  in  heavy  meals, 
but  now  they  had  changed  their  minds. 

I  was  not  sick,  so  carried  my  bowl  of  rice  out 
on  deck  for  the  sake  of  fresh  air  through  someone 
at  my  elbow  was  discourteous  enough  to  hint  that 
I  needed  fresh  air.  Opposite  me  sat  a  fat  passenger 
who  also  held  Neptune  in  contempt.  He  wore  a 
spotless  suit,  and  hat  and  shoes  made  of  the  finest 
material.  He  held  a  fan  before  his  face  to  ward  off 
the  offensive  odors  of  the  ship.  He  sat  with  dig 
nity,  and  looked  with  a  glance  of  hauteur  at  his 
fellow  passengers,  as  if  he  scorned  the  humiliation 
of  traveling  steerage.  When  he  spoke  he  assumed 
the  look  of  benign  condescension,  and  many  were 
the  deferential  glances  to  flatter  his  vanity.  The 
preservation  of  his  dignity  seemed  to  have  been  his 
life's  ambition.  His  feet  were  curled  under  him  in 
the  approved  attitude  of  the  sages.  The  little  table 
of  rice  was  at  his  feet,  while  a  bowl  of  soup  and  a 
bit  of  fish  completed  his  bill  of  fare.  He  raised  the 
bowl  of  soup  and  glanced  up,  as  if  he  indulged  in 
such  vulgar  acts  of  eating  only  when  aboard  ship  or 
in  the  company  of  his  inferiors.  With  maddening 
dignity  he  carried  it  to  his  lips,  but  a  sudden,  swift 
roll  and  plunge  of  the  steamer  sent  the  warm  liquid 
slipping  up  his  sleeve  and  over  his  immaculate  silk 
coat.  He  set  the  bowl  down  with  a  loud,  undignified 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  325 

snort  and  a  look  that  could  have  annihilated  the 
steamer  and  many  square  miles  of  the  sea.  The  next 
plunge  of  the  steamer  sent  the  bowl  rolling  across  the 
deck  and  the  bowl  of  rice  dancing  after  it.  Our 
dignified  friend,  seeing  his  dinner  fleeing,  sprang 
to  his  feet  with  the  agility  of  a  coolie  and  gave  pur 
suit.  Down  they  went  across  the  deck,  the  bowl 
leaving  a  white  path  of  hunger  tempting  rice  in  its 
wake.  At  one  moment  his  fingers  had  nearly  seized 
the  fleeing  bowl,  when  a  second  roll  of  the  steamer 
gave  it  another  turn  and,  describing  a  semi-circle,  it 
passed  between  his  feet  and  started  for  the  gangway 
leading  to  the  main  deck,  with  the  fat  man  in  pursuit. 
His  fellow  passengers  were  delighted.  As  the  bowl 
reached  the  gangway,  in  his  zeal  to  seize  it  before 
the  fatal  plunge,  he  lunged  forward  and,  slipping  on 
the  scattered  rice,  shot  with  toboggan  swiftness, 
head  foremost,  down  the  dozen  steps  and  landed 
comfortably  on  top  of  the  empty  bowl.  He  lay  for 
a  moment  as  if  expecting  someone  to  help  him  up ; 
but  a  shout  of  uproarious  laughter  from  a  score  of 
throats  jogged  his  ancient  brain  into  the  realization 
that  he  was  in  a  new  Korea,  where  every  man  is 
expected  to  look  after  himself.  Picking  himself  up, 
he  made  his  way  up  the  gangway  with  profound 
gravity,  sat  down  in  the  stained  garments  and 
ordered  another  bowl  of  rice,  scornfully  indifferent 
to  the  ripple  of  merriment  that  still  echoed  among 
the  passengers  and  sailors. 


326  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

Till  then  I  had  not  given  my  fellow  passengers  a 
thought.  Now  I  noted  that  they  were  made  up 
from  all  the  East:  the  heavy  Chinamen,  unobtru 
sively  sitting  in  groups  of  their  own  nationals,  who, 
when  the  rice  tables  were  carried  away,  began  rat 
tling  the  dice;  the  versatile  Japanese  with  a  disgust 
ing  lack  of  dress,  sitting  together  chattering  like  a 
company  of  magpies ;  Koreans  in  dull,  stolid  groups 
giving  way  to  every  other  aggressive  passenger. 
Their  seeming  pusillanimity  maddened  me,  but  I 
was  as  helpless  as  any  other  one  of  our  millions  who 
live  under  discriminating  and  unjust  laws.  I  saw 
pacing  the  deck,  among  first-class  passengers,  Ameri 
cans,  Europeans,  Chinese,  Japanese  and  Koreans. 
The  whole  world  seemed  to  be  represented  aboard 
that  little  steamer. 

While  my  fellow  passengers  were  scrambling  for 
sleeping  places  and  spreading  out  their  blankets  on 
the  rough  boards  of  their  bunks,  I  stood  out  by  the 
rail  in  the  bright  moonlight. 

Thousands  of  phosphorescent  stars  danced  at  the 
side  of  the  steamer  and  a  brilliant  pathway  of  light 
stretched  across  the  sea  toward  the  moon  that  scu'd- 
ded  through  the  sky  and  hid  for  a  moment  behind  a 
billowy  cloud  and  then  burst  forth  into  new  glory,  as 
if  insistent,  that  in  a  world  of  shadows  there  is 
light  and  hope. 

Long  I  looked  down  the  pathway  of  light  thinking 
or  rather  feeling,  forward  into  the  future.  Grim 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  327 

fate,  the  result  of  our  cruel  times,  had  shattered  at 
my  feet  all  that  I  loved,  and  yet  over  its  ruins  stern 
duty  seemed  calling  me.  My  feelings  were  not. 
without  bitterness.  Sweet  faces  and  tender  looks, 
like  the  fragrant  violet  beneath  the  heel  of  the  war 
rior,  are  to  be  trampled  upon  and  bruised  till  one's 
blood  should  bathe  them  into  new  life.  "Domestic 
peace  and  security  must  be  bought  for  the  next  gen 
eration  by  the  lives  of  this,"  I  reflected ;  "My  coun 
try's  needs  require  the  shedding  of  blood."  In  my 
sore,  grief-stricken  heart  I  felt  ready  for  that  day. 

Suddenly  I  was  awakened  from  my  thoughts  by 
a  hand  on  my  shoulder  and,  turning,  found  myself 
face  to  face  with  Tong-siki.  His  long  absence 
and  my  struggles  and  defeats  made  me  cling  to  him 
with  a  delight  that  surprised  and  pleased  him.  His 
healthy,  vigorous  look  and  cheerful  spirit  put  new 
life  into  me.  We  sat  down  against  the  skylight  of 
the  throbbing,  tumbling  boat,  and  he  demanded  of 
me  the  story  of  the  last  two  years.  I  told  him, 
leaving  out  nothing,  and  he  listened  without  a  word 
of  comment,  and  I  might  have  thought  that  he  heard 
nothing  if  each  glance  had  not  shown  his  eyes  bent 
searchingly  upon  me.  When  I  had  told  all,  he  sat 
in  a  long  thoughtful  silence,  then  spoke  as  if  it  were 
the  result  of  his  meditation. 

"Wonderful!  Wonderful  what  the  new  religion 
can  make  out  of  even  a  fragile  slave  girl.  Sought 
death,  did  she,  rather  than  bring  reproach  upon  her 


328  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

religion?  Yet  some  among  us,  who  boast  of  our 
strength,  find  it  a  trying  ordeal  to  summon  courage 
to  die  for  a  principle.  You  have  suffered,  have 
you?"  he  added,  "but  you  have  a  healthy  look  and 
I  think  a  healthy  brain.  You  have  learned  the  great 
lesson  that  these  are  not  the  times  to  be  satiated  with 
good  things.  Stripped  of  all  selfish  happiness  in 
any  one  individual  you  may  be  able  to  devote  your 
self  to  the  happiness  of  the  many.  Forgive  me  if 
I  seem  unsympathetic;  you  know  that  I  would  give 
my  right  hand  to  promote  your  happiness,  and, 
while  I  sincerely  sympathize  and  sorrow  with  you 
in  your  loss,  yet  I  am  glad,  with  a  gladness  that  I 
cannot  explain,  that  I  find  you  ready  to  devote  your 
life  to  our  common  cause." 

Then  he  told  me,  in  turn,  of  his  life  of  the  past 
two  years.  He  was  now  on  his  way  from  Japan, 
returning  to  the  scenes  of  his  old  struggles. 

Soon  after  our  separation  he  had  been  marked 
as  a  dangerous  man  and  sought  after  by  the  authori 
ties.  He  was  charged  with  being  a  traitor.  The 
fact  that  he  offered  his  life  in  defense  of  the  Em 
peror  was  ground  sufficient  for  jealous  officials  at 
the  capital  to  seek  his  life.  Most  of  his  friends  fell 
away  in  a  day.  The  Independence  club  was  glad  to 
receive  him,  and  were  stirred  with  his  manly  states 
manlike  appeals.  Soon  that  organization  was  at 
tacked,  and  its  leaders  imprisoned,  or  driven  from 
the  country.  Among  them  were  some  who  lost  their 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  329 

heads.  To  remain  in  the  country  for  the  time  meant 
total  impotency  and  consequent  ineffectual  battling. 
While  the  spirit  of  reaction  was  taking  place  he  had 
resolved  to  study  the  Japanese  system  of  govern 
ment,  and  had  gone  to  the  country  for  this  purpose. 
His  enemies  said  that  he  had  fled  from  justice. 

Japan,  Tong-siki  said,  was  truly  friendly  and 
desired  the  best  interest  of  Korea,  if  it  did  not 
conflict  with  her  own  interest.  Her  officials  opened 
every  avenue  possible  for  him  to  gain  information. 
Statesmen  sat  with  him  in  patient  effort  to  satisfy 
his  appetite  for  knowledge. 

The  trouble  between  Japan  and  Korea  lies  with 
the  multitude  of  Japanese  riffraff  who  have  found 
their  way  to  Korea,  and  are  outside  the  Korean  law 
and  control,  and  over  whom  Japan  exercises  lax  au 
thority.  Except  a  small  circle  of  respected  Japanese 
citizens  in  our  country,  the  thousands  are  eagerly 
engaged  in  our  exploitation.  These  people,  and  a 
few  incompetent  officials  of  the  Japanese  govern 
ment,  have  been  the  bane  of  Korea. 

"Either  their  people,"  said  he,  "will  be  better  con 
trolled  by  the  Japanese  authorities,  or  our  streets, 
in  the  near  future,  will  run  red.  Our  oppressed  race 
will  turn  upon  their  persecutors  as  soon  as  they  are 
permeated  by  the  spirit  of  freedom. 

"But  that  is  not  the  matter  that  presses  upon  me 
at  present.  You  may  have  heard  that  there  is  a 
price  set  upon  my  head,  and  when  I  put  foot  on  my 


330  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

native  soil  I  shall  have  set  in  motion  the  machinery 
of  patriotic  devotion  and  unselfish  solicitude  for  his 
Majesty.  To  make  sure  that  the  royal  family  is 
safe,  and,  casually,  that  their  hold  upon  the  treasur 
er's  spigot  is  secure,  members  of  the  Cabinet  will 
try  to  rid  the  land  of  my  presence. 

"Look  at  me,  Sung-yo.  Do  you  think  I  look  like 
a  fanatic  who  would  seek  to  throw  his  life  away  for 
a  dream  ?  Yet  I  am  going  back  to  offer  my  life  for 
my  country.  The  world  laughs  at  us  and  asks  in  de 
rision  for  an  exhibition  of  manhood,  and  our  people 
themselves  turn  to  tradition  for  those  who  have  died 
for  principle.  We  do  not  know  how  to  live  because 
we  do  not  know  how  to  die,  and  we  do  not  die  well 
because  we  do  not  live  well.  If,  by  giving  my  life, 
I  could  inspire  the  mind  of  many  hesitating  young 
men  of  our  country  to  dare  to  do  for  our  country's 
reform,  it  would  be  a  happy  gift. 

"I  may  escape  the  knife,  and  have  taken  every 
precaution  to  do  so  by  making  friends  with  power 
ful  Japanese  diplomats,  who  will  attempt  to  look 
to  my  safety,  but  I  have  little  confidence  in  them. 
Not  that  they  do  not  purpose  to  aid,  but  diplomacy 
is  strong  only  where  there  is  a  supposed  exchange  of 
advantages,  or  wrhere  there  is  a  hint  of  battleships. 
In  my  case  neither  condition  exists.  Beyond  a  kindly 
feeling,  my  life  means  nothing  to  the  Japanese, 
while  my  destruction  is  supposed  to  mean  the  sta 
bility  of  the  present  system  of  official  tyranny  in 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  331 

Korea.  I  want  to  live,  but  there  are  a  great  many 
things  worse  than  death;  cowardice  is  one.  My 
place  is  in  the  capital,  in  the  hurly-burly  of  strife, 
and  if  I  fall,  there  will  be  mighty  men  to  take  my 
place. 

"I  understand  that  the  magistrate  with  whom 
you  and  I  had  an  interesting  acquaintance  in  Pyeng- 
Yang  on  the  occasion  of  our  first  visit  there,  is  now 
in  Seoul  and  is  rapidly  rising  among  the  guardians 
of  Korea's  greatness.  Rumor  has  it  that  he  is  trying 
to  ride  two  horses  at  the  same  time.  His  sagacity 
has  evidently  revealed  to  him  facts  that  everyone 
knows,  namely,  that  there  is  to  be  a  struggle  between 
Russia  and  Japan  for  supremacy  in  the  East.  One 
day  he  gets  down  a  map  of  Asia,  and  opens  his  eyes 
wide  at  the  extent  of  Russia's  domains ;  then  sends  a 
visiting  card  to  the  Russian  Legation  with  the  an 
nouncement  that  he  is  on  his  way  to  pay  his  respects 
to  the  representative  of  the  greatest  country  on  the 
earth.  The  next  day  news  from  his  spies  announces 
Japan's  war  preparation,  and  he  hastens  to  the  Jap 
anese  Legation  to  knock  his  head  on  the  ground  to 
the  representative  of  the  mightiest  country  on  earth. 
What  concerns  me  most  at  present  is  that  he  is  wait 
ing  to  receive  me,  with  his  humiliation  in  Pyeng- 
Yang  burning  in  his  memory.  I  suppose  I  could 
buy  his  love  with  a  few  strings  of  cash ;  but  such  a 
purchase  would  nauseate  one  in  one's  grave;  yet 
some  think  the  practice  honorable. 


332  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"An  associate  of  his  who  has  turned  traitor  to  his 
political  friends  has  been  rewarded  with  a  govern 
ment  appointment  at  the  port,  ostensibly  Superin 
tendent  of  Trade,  but  in  reality,  appointed  to  seize 
all  progressionists  that  should  attempt  to  return 
from  abroad. 

"He  wrote  me  many  loving  letters,  and  I  expect 
that  on  my  arrival  he  will  express  his  solicitude  by 
having  a  servant  with  his  overgrown  visiting  card 
at  the  steamer  anchorage,  to  beg  the  humble  privi 
lege  of  entertaining  me  before  I  proceed  to  the  capi 
tal.  If  he  concludes  that  my  bones  are  worth  pick 
ing,  the  exploitation  will  be  his,  and  I  will  have  the 
blessed  privilege  of  sneaking  into  some  hiding  place, 
while  he  will  deliver  up  some  wretch  to  the  talons  of 
the  noble  tribunal  in  Seoul,  who  may,  after  the  deatli 
sentence  is  passed,  discover  that  the  victim  is  the 
wrong  man.  Never  fear,  Sung-yo,  I  intend  to  part 
with  no  cash,  nor  self-respect  to  buy  safety  either 
at  the  port  or  the  capital." 

We  sat  on  the  wind-swept  deck  far  into  the  night, 
and  he  told  me  of  his  many  experiences  in  Japan, 
with  many  references  to  Japan's  eagerness  to  meas 
ure  strength  with  Russia. 

"That  pending  conflict,"  he  said,  "is  what  has 
hastened  my  return  to  Korea.  It  will  make  little 
difference  which  country  is  victorious,  for  in  either 
case,  we  will  be  the  victims  of  exploitation,  unless 
we  can  prove  to  the  world  that  we  are  fit  to  govern 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  333 

ourselves.  We  have  failed  to  prove  it  so  far;  but 
there  is  manhood  and  patriotism  enough  in  the 
country,  if  it  could  be  marshalled  at  the  right  point, 
to  make  Korea  repeat  the  wonderful  development  of 
Japan.  All  we  want  is  that  the  powers  will  hold 
off  and  give  us  a  chance. 

"The  most  bitter  thing  that  I  have  had  to  meet 
since  I  have  been  traveling  among  Americans  and 
Europeans  in  Japan  is  the  settled  opinion  on  their 
part  that  Korea  is  naturally  the  rightful  prey  to 
either  Japan  or  Russia,  provided  that  they  go  to 
war.  The  logic  of  their  reasoning  would  be  hugely 
amusing  if  it  did  not  have  such  a  terrible  aspect  back 
of  it. 

"For  the  sake  of  argument,  we  might  suppose  that 
there  was  a  war  brewing  between  Canada  and  Mex 
ico  and,  therefore,  because  either  belligerent  would 
march  troops  into  the  territory  of  the  United  States, 
the  victor  should,  forsooth,  possess  that  country 
by  right  of  conquest.  Thus  are  we  to  be  right 
ful  fruits  of  Japan's  conquest  over  Russia,  or  Rus 
sia's  conquest  over  Japan ! 

"There  are  in  Europe  many  smaller  countries  than 
ours,  whose  territorial  integrity  is  preserved  and  in 
dependence  recognized  by  the  family  of  nations.  In 
view  of  that  fact,  a  remark  I  heard  from  a  promi 
nent  American  casts  great  discredit  upon  his  boasted 
reasoning  faculties.  He  said  that  there  were  not 
people  enough  in  Korea  to  live  a  separate  life.  I 


334  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

listened  to  the  statement  with  a  gasp  of  amazement, 
remembering  that  at  the  time  of  America's  Inde 
pendence,  they  had  not  one  third  the  number  of  peo 
ple  that  we  have  to-day. 

"Obedience  to  the  laws  of  health  and  sanitation 
has  added  to  Japan's  population  twenty  millions  of 
people  within  the  last  thirty-five  years.  Let  us  learn 
the  same  lessons,  and  within  one  generation  we 
shall  have  a  population  of  twenty-five  millions  of 
people  in  Korea. 

"In  estimating  the  future  the  only  safe  method  is 
an  examination  of  the  past.  What  has  Japan  done 
for  us?  Her  previous  effort  toward  reforming  our 
government  bore  some  bitter  fruit.  A  natural  result 
of  her  puerile  methods.  Her  statesmen  held  joint 
meetings  with  our  Cabinet  and  raised  the  considera 
tion  of  the  customs  of  our  people.  Finally  they  ap 
peared  before  his  Majesty  and  with  profound  grav 
ity  advised  him,  with  a  hint  of  Japan's  military  pow 
er  to  compel  the  people  to  cut  off  their  long  coat 
sleeves,  cut  the  hair  off  from  their  heads,  and  break 
their  pipestems  in  the  middle.  The  last  seemed 
strange  when  one  reflected  that  nicotine  reaches  the 
lips  sooner  through  a  short  pipestem  than  through  a 
long  one. 

"We  submitted  to  the  cutting  and  breaking.  Some 
of  us  got  mad  and  threw  stones,  while  others  of  us 
laughed  uproariously  in  our  shortened  sleeves.  For 
months  the  country  rocked  with  silent  laughter  at 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  335 

the  work  of  foreign  statesmen.  Then  the  noble  top 
knot  was  reerected. 

"The  really  big  thing  that  they  did  was  to  com 
pass  the  murder  of  the  Queen,  which  you  and  I 
saw.  Yet  I  must  think,  that  in  some  sentimental 
way,  the  Japanese  wish  us  well.  But  to  fight  big 
battles  and  win  victories,  and  administer  the  affairs 
of  an  alien  race  are  two  vastly  different  problems. 
The  latter  will  never  be  done  successfully  by  a  peo 
ple  who  despise  the  subjects  of  the  administration. 
Japanese,  as  individuals,  must  learn  to  respect  Ko 
reans,  as  individuals,  before  they  can  commence  the 
alphabet  of  our  reform. 

"What  Russia  may  elect  to  do,  provided  she 
gains  control  of  Korea,  is  a  deeper  question  still. 
International  jealousy,  in  that  case,  would  be  in 
finitely  stronger  and  might  serve  to  check  that  coun 
try  where  Japan  would  be  allowed  a  free  hand. 
Still,  much  would  depend  upon  the  reforms  we  may 
be  able  to  inaugurate  in  Seoul." 

I  tried  to  dissuade  Tong-siki  from  returning  to 
the  capital  at  this  time,  urging  that  it  would  be  a 
useless  sacrifice,  and  that  I  did  not  believe  the  people 
were  educated  to  the  point  where  they  would  appre 
ciate,  or  respond  to  such  sacrifice. 

He  replied  that  life  in  a  foreign  land,  while  his 
country  was  suffering  and  endangered,  had  become 
hateful  and  intolerable. 

"I  was  never  given  to  impatience,"  he  added,  look- 


336  EVVA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

ing  over  the  prow  of  the  steamer  at  the  white-capped 
waves  glistening  in  the  moonlight,  "but  since  coming 
aboard  this  steamer  I  have,  with  difficulty,  controlled 
my  impatience  to  set  foot  on  shore  and  meet  what 
ever  awaits  me.  It  may  be — it  probably  will  be — 
death." 

The  moon  had  dropped  below  the  horizon  engulf 
ing  the  ship  in  the  deeper  shadows  of  the  night  be 
fore  we  turned  in.  Tong-siki  left  his  first-class 
privileges  and  joined  me  among  the  steerage  pas 
sengers.  By  wedging  ourselves  between  two  half- 
seasick  men,  who  were  rolling  and  sliding  with  each 
movement  of  the  ship,  we  found  rest  for  the  remain 
ing  hours  of  the  night.  Tong-siki  immediately  fell 
into  a  deep  sleep,  but  I  tossed  and  tumbled  in  fear 
ful  apprehension  of  what  the  morrow  would  bring 
forth  for  my  friend. 

I  must,  at  last,  have  dropped  into  a  sleep,  for  sud 
denly  I  sat  up,  confused  by  the  clatter  of  feet  over 
head.  Light  was  shining  in  at  the  portholes,  and 
many  of  my  companions  had  gone  on  deck.  I  looked 
for  Tong-siki,  but  he  was  gone.  Suddenly  the  fret 
ful  jamng  at  the  stern  of  the  steamer  announced 
that  we  were  coming  to  a  stop.  A  splash  at  the  prow 
with  the  long  cable  rumbling  through  the  ship's 
nose,  declared  us  at  anchor. 

I    ran  on  deck.     Already    we  were  being    sur 
rounded  by  Korean  boats,  and  half  naked  men  were 
climbing  over  the  ship's  side.    Japanese  sailors  were 


I  VVA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  337 

trying  to  beat  them  back  with  club  and  fist,  but  on 
they  came  with  bruised  heads  and  backs,  yet  with 
out  retaliation.  All  for  the  privilege  of  carrying  a 
passenger  with  his  bundle  to  the  landing.  With 
the  brawn  of  the  ox  and  the  courage  of  heroes,  these 
despised  and  oppressed  men  of  the  sea  fought  for 
their  livelihood.  Such  fearless  resolve  would  be 
terrible  if  organized  under  arms,  I  reflected. 

A  half  hour  later  Tong-siki  came  to  me  carrying 
in  his  hand  a  huge,  red  visiting  card  from  the  Super 
intendent  of  Trade  and  a  note  containing  a  polite, 
urgent  request  that  he  would  accompany  the  bearer 
home;  also  saying  that  he  regretted  exceedingly  that 
duties  compelled  him  to  remain  on  shore,  denying 
him  the  pleasure  of  an  earlier  personal  greeting. 

The  passengers  were  rapidly  leaving  the  ship. 
Bidding  the  bearer  of  the  letter  to  wait,  Tong-siki 
led  the  way  to  his  cabin,  and  having  carefully  closed 
the  door,  he  took  off  his  underjacket,  and  asked  me 
to  exchange  mine  for  his.  Wondering,  I  exchanged 
him  my  coarse  one  for  his,  which  was  made  of  the 
finest  silk. 

"Keep  the  jacket,"  said  he.  "Do  not  part  with 
it  for  a  moment,  wear  it  night  and  day.  If  at  any 
time  I  should  send  for  you,  either  in  the  port  or  at 
the  capital,  come  to  me  immediately,  and  do  not 
hesitate  to  promise  any  amount  of  money  that  may 
be  demanded  for  such  a  privilege." 

T  promised. 


338  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

"We  shall  separate  at  the  landing.  It  will  be  bet 
ter  that  you  seem  to  have  no  connection  with  me," 
said  he.  "You  are  without  money,"  he  added,  press 
ing  a  small  roll  of  bills  in  my  hand.  Then  he  told 
me  where  I  should  wait  in  Seoul,  and  not  leave  the 
place  till  he  should  either  join  me,  or  send  for  me. 

"Buy  a  better  coat,"  he  added,  looking  me  over ; 
"you  will  need  to  look  well  to  be  of  service  to  me." 

Then,  following  a  habit  of  his  which  I  have  never 
seen  in  anyone  else,  he  put  both  hands  on  my  shoul 
ders  and  looked  long  in  my  face  and  smiled  happily, 
and  when  I  looked  the  misery  and  fear  that  I  felt, 
he  laughed  heartily. 

"Tong-siki,  don't  do  it,"  I  urged,  desperately. 

"Too  late  to  turn  back  now,"  he  said  "even  if  I 
should  desire  to  do  so.  At  least  a  half  dozen  pairs  of 
eyes  watched  us  enter  this  cabin ;  and  then,  too,  you 
have  forgotten  the  kind  invitation  from  the  Superin 
tendent  of  Trade.  Of  course  I  will  accept  it.  I  sup 
pose  I  might  put  up  with  my  friends,  the  Japanese, 
but  that  would  only  delay  the  issue." 

He  looked  in  my  face  steadily,  with  the  hunger  of 
a  great  soul  in  his  eyes,  then  said : 

"If  I  fall,  Sung-yo,  will  you  take  my  place?" 

I  promised. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
FOR  His  COUNTRY 

I  HAD  been  eight  days  at  the  inn  designated  by 
Tong-siki,  waiting  for  news  from  him.  Rumor  had 
it  that  he  had  been  arrested  and  condemned  to  death, 
and  that  the  Japanese  officials  had  protested  against 
his  execution  without  a  trial  and  that  their  request, 
which  amounted  to  a  demand,  had  been  complied 
with. 

Tong-siki's  silence,  however,  seemed  the  confir 
mation  of  my  worst  fears.  Supposing,  I  argued, 
that  his  Majesty  had  sent  down  an  order  for  an  im 
partial  trial,  no  one  could  be  sure  that  the  order 
would  reach  the  Department  of  Justice  before  the 
deed  would  be  carried  out.  I  remembered  occasions 
when  actions  of  that  Department  dragged  through 
years,  delaying  cases  of  moment  to  the  national  in 
terest,  till,  through  utter  weariness,  the  country 
turned  its  thoughts  to  other  things;  yet  others, 
where  personal  interests  were  at  stake,  were  disposed 
of  with  an  alacrity  that  would  have  astonished  the 
law  courts  anywhere  else  in  the  world,  and  I  grew 
despondent  when  I  reflected  that  fierce,  personal 
jealousy  and  hatred  were  the  chief  factors  to  deter 
mine  the  fate  of  my  friend. 


34°  EVVA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

All  that  last  day  of  waiting  and  watching,  the 
wind  blew  heavily  up  the  streets,  lifting  clouds  of 
dust  and  driving  them  into  the  shops  and  inns,  blind 
ing  one  and  piling  up  little  heaps  around  the  cracks 
of  the  doors  and  on  the  window  sills.  Strings  of 
pack-ponies  clattered  by,  their  riders  ducking  their 
heads  and  bracing  against  the  wind.  The  heat  was 
oppressive,  and  when  one  attempted  to  slack  one's 
thirst,  the  taste  of  dust  and  sand  was  left  in  one's 
mouth.  The  weather  irritated  one,  something  finer 
than  dust  permeated  the  atmosphere,  tingling  and 
jingling  one's  nerves.  Loose  paper  on  the  walls  and 
windows  buzzed  and  whistled  wearisomely,  while 
around  the  corners  of  the  buildings  the  wind  jostled, 
tugged,  and  roared,  and  as  it  swept  down  the  moun 
tainside  over  the  city,  wailed  and  whined  griev 
ously. 

A  school  building  adjoining  the  inn,  where  a  score 
of  boys  had  daily  bellowed  out  their  lessons,  was  on 
that  day  silent,  save  now  and  then  an  uproarious 
spurt  of  noise  which  died  away  as  suddenly  as  it 
began.  Passing  guests  stopped  long  enough  to 
order  their  meals,  and  eating  in  silence  hastened  on 
into  the  driving  dust.  When  night  fell  the  wind 
still  howled  and  bellowed  about  the  streets. 

I  lay  down  for  the  night  more  depressed  than  I 
had  ever  before  been,  and  imagination  involuntarily 
conjured  up  gruesome  scenes,  and  in  them  was  al 
ways  the  face  of  Tong-siki.  Had  not  he  trusted  my 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  341 

fidelity  to  his  wishes,  I  should  have  rushed  out  on 
the  streets  and  away  from  the  city  to  shake  off  the 
dismal  depression  of  mind.  Thus  I  lay  awake  feel 
ing,  rather  than  hearing,  the  wind  without,  till  about 
midnight  when  a  fresh  rattling  of  the  door  that 
opened  on  the  street,  seemed  to  have  a  personality 
about  it,  lifting  it  out  of  the  general  hubbub.  I  lis 
tened,  and  when  it  was  repeated,  went  to  the  door 
and  opened  it.  A  gust  of  dust-laden  wind  flung  in 
at  the  candle  till  its  flame  narrowed  down  to  a  tiny 
point  of  light,  and  for  a  minute  I  could  see  nothing 
without.  Then  its  rays  flared  up  and  fell  on  a  dark 
figure  of  a  uniformed  policeman. 

He  silently  handed  me  a  card  on  which  was  neatly 
written  the  name  of  Tong-siki. 

"Where?"  I  asked. 

"The  Supreme  Court  Prison,"  he  replied. 

A  moment  later,  I  was  at  the  man's  heels.  He  led 
me  through  portions  of  the  city  that  I  had  not  vis 
ited  before.  He  carried  no  light,  and  it  was,  evident 
that  he  did  not  want  to  be  seen.  When  we  entered 
the  main  streets,  I  noticed  that  the  storm  had  put 
out  most  of  the  lights.  Occasionally  we  overtook 
watchmen,  to  whose  greetings  my  guide  scarcely 
grunted  a  response.  We  paused  at  the  entrance  of  a 
large  dismal  looking  building  and  my  guide  knocked. 
The  door  opened  from  within  with  a  loud  squeak, 
and  I  found  myself  half-blinded  fry  a  dozen  lanterns 
in  the  hands  of  gatekeepers,  messengers,  and  others,, 


342  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

My  guide  did  not  pause,  but  led  me  to  a  room  near 
the  entrance,  and  without  ceremony  opened  the  door 
and  motioned  me  to  enter,  then  closed  it  after  me. 

A  man  sat  on  a  cushion  in  the  middle  of  the  room. 
At  his  side  was  a  small  table,  on  which  lay  paper, 
brush,  and  ink,  suggesting  that  he  had  been  writing. 
He  glanced  up,  then  folded  a  piece  of  paper  and  very 
deliberately  put  it  in  an  envelope  before  taking  fur 
ther  notice  of  me. 

"Want  something?"  he  said  at  last. 

I  told  him  my  name,  and  he  made  the  usual  for 
mal  replies  with  frigid  gravity.  I  waited  for  him 
to  speak  to  unravel  the  mystery  of  Tong-siki's  card. 
With  an  imperturbable  face,  he  turned  to  his  paper  a 
moment,  then  glanced  at  me,  his  face  an  interroga 
tion.  I  knew  that  he  had  sent  for  me,  and  that  no 
one,  without  his  consent,  could  have  gained  entrance 
to  the  prison  yard  that  night,  and  all  my  senses  were 
awake  to  see  what  move  he  was  planning. 

"Your  man  brought  this,"  I  said,  handing  him 
Tong-siki's  card.  He  took  it  and  laid  it  on  the  table. 

"A  friend  of  Tong-Siki's — and  want  to  see  him, 
do  you?"  he  said. 

"Yes." 

"Can't  be  done,  impossible,"  said  he,  with  unneces 
sary  vehemence.  "His  Majesty  has  ordered  the 
arch  traitor  executed.  It  is  to  take  place  to-morrow 
at  daylight,"  and  he  rolled  the  words  and  hugged 
the  sounds  as  if  tHey  gave  him  inward  delight. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  343 

"He  is  in  the  death  cell  now,"  he  continued,  ''to 
open  it  would  invite  investigations.  You  people  of 
the  common  herd,  who  associate  with  traitors  and 
anarchists,  should  be  with  him.  Do  you  think  I 
would  let  you  in  that  cell  to-night  ?  You  showed  the 
usual  wit  of  your  class  in  coming  here.  We,  who 
have  the  arduous  duty  of  protecting  his  Majesty, 
and  devote  ourselves  unceasingly  to  the  safety  of  the 
royal  family,  whose  only  thought  of  reward  is  the 
consciousness  of  having  done  our  duty,  have  many 
ways  of  securing  traitors  and  their  accomplices. 
Sometimes  it  is  the  handcuff,  while  at  other  times 
a  visiting  card  will  do  the  work;"  he  said,  looking 
fiercely  at  me  from  under  his  broad  hat  rim.  Re 
turning  the  look  with  calm  indifference,  I  said: 

"So  you  sent  the  prisoner's  card  to  lure  me  here 
for  imprisonment,  to  suffer  under  the  charge  of 
abetting  a  crime?" 

"Judge  for  yourself,  are  you  not  here  ?"  he  replied, 
hotly,  noticing  the  scorn  in  my  voice. 

"It  is  a  lie,"  I  said,  without  heat. 

He  looked  at  me  a  moment,  as  if  his  ears  had  de 
ceived  him,  then  I  repeated: 

"It  is  a  lie." 

He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  called  at  the  top  of  his 
voice,  panting  with  excitement.  A  prolonged 
"Ya-a-a"  came  in  response.  A  dozen  feet  were  at 
the  door,  and  it  was  flung  open  with  a  fierce  jar.  For 
a  full  minute  the  man  hesitated,  then  motioned  his 


344  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

minions  away  and  sitting  down,  looked  at  me 
steadily. 

"Who  are  you?"  he  asked. 

"You,  yourself,  have  said  that  I  was  a  friend  of 
Tong-siki's,"  I  said  recklessly.  "You  sent  me  his 
card  at  his  request  with  the  hopes  of  obtaining 
money  from  me." 

"Hopes!"  he  echoed. 

"Your  threat  to  imprison  me  does  not  frighten  me 
at  all,  though  I  doubt  not  it  would  satisfy  your 
spleen,  but  I  have  more  confidence  in  the  strength 
of  your  greed.  If  it  is  money  that  you  want,  now 
that  we  understand  each  other,  name  your  price." 

"Who  are  you?"  he  again  asked. 

"Whoever  I  am  disposed  to  represent  myself  for 
the  present,  your  description  of  me  is  satisfactory.  I 
am  Tong-siki's  friend." 

He  looked  at  my  sunburnt  skin  and  heavy  hands 
and  seemed  puzzled. 

"Of  course,"  I  said,  "if  you  have  nothing  further 
to  say  I  may  as  well  go,  inasmuch  as  I  did  not  seek 
your  presence." 

"You  understand  little  my  responsibilities.  Loy 
alty  to  the  authority  that  is  over  me  is  the  first  prin 
ciple  of  my  life.  You  must  know  that  to  open  a 
prison  door  is  to  run  incalculable  risks.  What  inter 
est  have  I  in  a  traitor?  Why  should  I  run  the  risk 
of  my  life  for  him?  If  you  have  money  to  pay  the 
price  of  a  man's  life,  you  might  possibly  see  him." 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  345 

"At  how  much  do  you  value  yourself?"  I  asked 
with  a  sinking  heart,  remembering  that  I  had  not 
money  to  pay  heavily,  and  I  knew  that  Tong-siki 
had  been  robbed  of  everything  that  he  may  have  had 
with  him. 

"You  will  lay  twenty  thousand  yang  on  this 
table/'  said  he,  "for  a  half  hour  in  that  prison." 

I  looked  down  to  hide  the  dismay  that  I  felt.  It 
would  take  months  for  me  to  visit  my  old  home  and 
raise  that  enormous  sum  of  money. 

"A  huge  sum  for  a  short  visit,"  I  said,  in  the 
effort  to  gain  time." 

"I  have  no  more  to  say,"  he  replied,  with  impa 
tience. 

"When?"  I  asked. 

"On  this  table  within  an  hour,"  said  he,  tapping 
the  table  with  menacing  irritation. 

"Show  me  the  prisoner,"  I  replied  in  blind  faith, 
remembering  Tong-siki's  words :  "Pay  any  amount 
that  may  be  demanded  for  the  privilege  of  coming 
to  me." 

"There  are  empty  cells  with  stocks,  and  racks, 
and  all  the  machinery  necessary  to  wring  gold  from 
any  lump  of  clay,  and  you  may  refuse  to  pay  if  you 
want  to,"  he  said,  with  a  look  of  sinister  resolve. 

I  nodded  in  reply  to  the  threat,  and  without  an 
other  word  he  stepped  into  the  yard,  and  I  followed. 
He  led  the  way  to  a  heavily  barred  door  and  an  at 
tendant  unlocking  it,  swung  it  open  for  me  to  enter, 


346  EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

then  closed  and  locked  it  after  me.  Immediately  I 
heard  the  tramp  of  the  guard  at  the  door,  -and  a  sec 
ond  tramping  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  building. 

Inside  the  prison  was  absolutely  dark,  and  I  stood 
at  the  door  with  a  chill  of  apprehension,  much  won 
dering  if  I  had  been  indeed  trapped.  I  struck  a 
match  and  held  it  above  my  head.  The  room  was 
small  'with  a  clay  floor  and  walls  heavily  planked  on 
the  inside.  It  was  close  and  suffocating  from  the 
heat  and  lack  of  ventilation.  The  match  burned 
dimly  in  the  thick  atmosphere  and  revealed  the 
dense  darkness  of  the  place. 

"Peace  to  you,"  came  a  cheerful  voice  from  the 
shadows,  and  my  heart  leaped  at  the  dear,  familiar 
sound. 

The  match  flickered  and  went  out,  but  I  found  my 
way  across  the  room  where  sat  Tong-siki,  his  legs 
extended  and  his  feet  in  stocks.  He  did  not  chide 
me  for  tears,  but  comforted  me,  as  if  I  were  the  one 
waiting  death  in  the  noisome  prison,  and  he  the  one 
who  had  come  to  me.  In  the  dark,  I  ran  my  hands 
down  to  his  feet  and  strained  at  the  timbers  that 
held  him,  and  he  laughed. 

"A  light,  Sung-yo — the  lamp  is  beyond  my 
reach/'  he  said. 

I  lit  a  tiny  lamp  hanging  from  the  roof,  and 
kneeling  down  looked  him  over.  He  bore  marks  of 
suffering,  yet  his  eye  and  voice  spoke  in  the  old, 
happy  way. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  347 

"So  you  had  faith  in  me  to  do  blindly  what  I 
asked.  It  is  worth  one's  life  to  feel  that  there  is  even 
one  person  who  trusts  one  implicitly."  He  looked 
his  gratitude,  and  reaching  under  the  jacket  that  I 
had  worn  from  the  moment  we  had  made  the  ex 
change  on  the  steamer,  fumbled  with  the  seam  of  the 
lining  for  a  moment,  then  ripped  it  from  its  place. 

"There,"  said  he;  "see  what  you  have,  but  don't 
turn  into  the  light.  These  walls  have  eyes  as  well 
as  ears." 

From  the  lining  I  removed  six  one  hundred  yen 
notes. 

"That  is  all,"  said  he;  "will  it  do?" 

"One  to  spare,"  I  replied. 

"In  the  other  side  are  papers,  but  no  money.  They 
are  addressed  to  different  persons,  and  they  contain 
matter  with  which  I  want  you  to  become  familiar. 
It  will  require  money  to  carry  on  the  campaign  plans 
that  have  taken  me,  in  counsel  with  others,  years  to 
materialize.  They  are  all  explained  among  these 
papers.  Guard  them,  with  the  names  of  the  persons 
found  there,  with  your  life.  You  will  not  be 
searched  here.  I  took  care  of  that  before  sending 
for  you.  You  have  paid  a  price  that  protects  you  to 
this  extent.  Money  on  the  one  hand,  and  fear  from 
being  haunted  on  the  other,  will  work  wonders. 
Greed  and  fear  are  the  two  great  mastersprings  of 
most  people's  actions." 

Then  he  told  me  how  he  had  attempted  to  com- 


348  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

municate  direct  with  his  Majesty,  to  warn  him  of 
the  calamity  that  threatened  the  country  from  ag 
gressive  foreign  nations;  how,  in  failing,  he  had 
stood  before  the  Prime  Minister  and  had  pleaded  for 
Korea,  as  a  man  pleads  for  his  life;  how  he  had 
urged  reforms,  and  for  a  brief  period  had  divided 
the  councils  of  the  nation ;  how,  for  fear  of  the  in 
fluence  of  so  masterful  a  person,  they  had  united  in 
ordering  his  death. 

When  Tong-siki  had  told  of  his  failure,  he 
dropped  his  head  on  his  bosom,  and  for  the  first  time 
during  the  years  that  I  had  known  him,  tears 
trickled  down  his  face.  "What  do  I  see,  Sung-yo? 
— I  see  a  great  war  and  Korea  lying  between  the  ter 
rible  armies  crushed  and  bleeding.  A  foreign  power 
ruling  our  people,  harnessing  our  rivers  for  their 
own  peoples,  hewing  down  the  mountains  for  their 
own  wealth,  spanning  the  country  with  their  roads, 
the  whirr  of  the  factories  and  thunder  of  the  loco 
motive  under  strangers'  hands,  and  our  people  their 
slaves — and  pitifully  poor." 

The  next  instant  his  cheerfulness  had  returned. 

'This  is  not  loss.  It  is  gain.  I  am  simply  a  step 
ping  stone  to  better  conditions.  They  are  fools 
enough  to  think,  that  in  killing  one,  they  kill  the 
cause  for  which  we  stand." 

"No  hope  for  escape,  Tong-siki  ?';  I  asked  again, 
foolishly  struggling  at  the  heavy  beams  that  held 
him  down. 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  349 

"I  escape  at  daylight.  Tell  the  people,  Sung-yo, 
that  I  die  for  them.  Tell  all  that  love  liberty,  that  it 
is  better  to  die  for  it  than  to  live  in  luxury  without 
it  The  price  of  liberty  the  world  over  is  the  blood 
of  its  devotees,  and  I  gladly  give  my  life  for  it."  He 
paused  a  moment  and  said : 

"You  remember  the  Christian  chapel  that  we  vis 
ited  on  our  way  home  after  the  battle  of  Pyeng- 
Yang,  and  how  joyous  the  people  seemed?  I  found 
out  the  reason  of  their  joy.  Your  Ewa  learned  the 
same  lessons,  and  I  shall  see  her,  Sung-yo. 

"Years  ago,  I  laid  my  little  three-year-old  boy  in 
the  dust,  and  during  all  these  years  his  prattle  has 
been  in  my  ears,  and  his  little  hand  has  clung  to  my 
fingers.  During  these  years  of  separation,  he  has 
grown  in  wisdom  and  knowledge.  In  his  natural 
development,  untrammeled  by  the  limitations  of  sin 
ful  flesh,  he  has  sped  on  and  outstripped  his  halting, 
staggering  father,  and  somewhere — up  there — he 
has  touched  the  border  line  of  the  angels,  and  on  the 
morrow  when  the  shock  of  the  executioner  has 
hurled  me  across  life's  boundary,  speeding  down  the 
shining  way  to  meet  me,  I  shall  see  him  and  shall 
delightedly  put  my  heavy  fingers  in  his  tiny  hand, 
and  he  will  lead  me  up  to  the  Master,  and  he  will 
show  me  the  wonders  of  that  wonderful  land. 
Don't  think,  Sung-yo,  that  I  shall  be  afraid.  He 
who  was  born  of  woman  will  understand." 


350  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

A  jarring  of  the  heavy  door,  as  the  fastenings 
were  being  pulled  down,  announced  that  I  had 
stayed  out  my  time.  I  flung  my  arms  around  Tong- 
siki.  "Don't  cry,"  he  said,  in  his  old  hearty  way. 
"This  is  not  defeat ;  it  is  victory."  Then  he  pulled 
me  down  in  front  of  him,  and  looked  in  my  eyes  and 
smiled. 

The  next  moment  the  keeper  was  inside  searching 
their  prisoner  carefully  to  see  that  I  had  left  nothing 
with  him  to  help  him  free  himself,  or  take  his  own 
life,  or  as  a  telltale  of  a  midnight  visit. 

I  was  led  out,  and  sat  some  time  in  the  keeper's 
room,  lost  in  my  own  grief  and  misery,  till  he  re 
minded  me  of  my  contract ;  I  laid  on  the  table  in 
front  of  him  five  hundred  Japanese  yen. 

He  took  them  up  and  examined  each  crisp  note 
carefully. 

Then  I  noticed  for  the  first  time,  that  I  had  seen 
him  before,  when,  like  a  flash,  I  again  saw  the  en 
counter  with  Tong-siki  on  the  streets  years  ago,  in 
the  city  of  the  north,  and  I  wondered  at  the  monster 
who  had  followed  his  victim  to  the  prison  cell,  as 
suming  the  role  of  prison-keeper  that  he  might  gloat 
over  Tong-siki's  ruin.  A  feeling  of  loathing  filled 
my  soul,  and  when  he  fumbled  as  if  searching  to 
make  proper  change,  I  waved  his  hand  aside  and 
sought  the  door  to  get  from  his  presence.  As  he 
opened  the  door  for  me,  he  smiled  at  the  money  in 
his  hand.  Standing  on  the  outside,  I  said: 


EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  351 

"Twenty-five  yen  for  the  body  outside  the  city 
gate." 

"Fifty,"  said  he ;  "and  pay  on  delivery." 

I  nodded — fearing  to  speak  lest  I  should  do  him 
violence,  and  the  prison-yard  gate  closed  behind  me. 

It  was  still  dark  when  I  reached  my  inn,  and  never 
before  did  the  moments  of  darkness  seem  so  pre 
cious. 

I  walked  out  through  the  small  city  gate  leading 
to  the  general  burying  fields,  covered  with  a  multi 
tude  of  mounds,  where  my  late  contract  would  be 
fulfilled.  As  the  darkness  deepened,  just  before 
dawn,  a  great  horror  filled  my  soul.  The  dust  storm 
had  spent  itself,  but  my  throat  ached  as  if  parched 
with  thirst  and  coated  with  dust.  When  the  dawn 
shot  a  line  across  the  sky,  I  retreated,  and  hid  under 
the  stone  arch  of  the  gate.  Light  looked  in  at  me 
and  mocked  me.  The  sun  rose  and  shot  his  shafts 
into  my  hiding  place.  Morning  life  around  the  gate 
of  the  great  city  moved,  and  throbbed,  laughed, 
sang,  and  chattered  and  held  disputes. 

"Who  are  these  for  whom  he  has  given  his  life," 
I  thought;  "these,  who  neither  care  nor  know?" 

At  mid-forenoon,  two  men  staggered  through  the 
gate  with  a  burden  between  them  rolled  in  a  mat. 
They  followed  me  out  across  the  hills,  and  when 
they  had  finally  laid  their  burden  down,  I  sent  them 
back  to  the  city  for  proper  means  to  bury  the  patri 
otic  dead. 


352  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

Lost  in  my  bitter  grief,  I  sat  at  a  distance  from 
the  shapeless  bundle,  surrounded  by  the  mounds  of 
the  dead.  There  was  no  one  moving  in  the  vicinity, 
but  the  old  life  crowded  the  distant  gates  of  the  city 
and  fretted  itself  with  its  petty,  sordid  interests,  un 
moved  by  the  tragedy  of  a  life  given  for  it.  I 
turned  my  face  to  the  bundle  which  lay  some  yards 
away — a  breeze  lifted  a  corner  of  the  mat  and 
seemed  to  stir  it  the  whole  length.  The  motion 
resembled  so  exactly  that  caused  by  a  hand  tugging 
at  the  bundle  that  my  eyes  became  glued  to  it. 

"Ah,  Tong-siki,"  I  thought,  "our  land  was  poor 
before,  but  to-day  gaunt  hunger  stares  across  every 
threshhold  in  the  land.  The  people  thought  that 
they  were  robbed  before,  but  to-day  every  home  has 
lost  father,  son,  or  brother." 

A  stir  about  the  matting  brought  me  to  my  feet 
in  foolish  superstitious  fear,  and  my  legs  shook  un 
der  me.  Then,  like  a  flood  of  light,  hope  filled  my 
soul — and  I  ran  to  the  bundle  of  matting  and  fev 
erishly  tore  at  its  fastenings.  A  hand  slipped  out 
into  view  with  the  color  of  life  upon  it.  My  knife 
slid  down  the  matting  and  Tong-siki  sat  up,  his 
eyes  blinking  in  the  rays  of  the  bright  sunlight. 

"Well,"  said  he;  "that  was  a  rough  ride.  I 
thought  they  would  never  get  here." 

Before  Tong-siki  spoke,  I  had  been  pulling  at  his 
shoulder,  twisting  this  way  and  that,  with  no 
thought  of  what  I  was  doing.  At  the  sound  of  his 


EWA  :  A  TALE  OF  KOREA  353 

Voice,  I  came  to  my  senses.     "Why,  Tong-siki ! 
didn't  they  hang  you  ?"  I  said,  my  face  close  to  his. 

"Are  you  sorry?"  he  replied,  his  old  smile  return^ 
ing.  "Hang  me!  I  should  think  they  did!  They 
thought  they  had  done  it.  Cowards  and  assassins 
do  their  work  ill.  Fear  of  the  Emperor's  orders 
must  have  cut  the  operation  short.  When  I  came 
to  myself,  I  was  being  jogged  along  in  that  roll  of 
matting.  Ugh !  it  was  hard  work  to  breathe  in  there, 
and  harder  still  to  lie  quiet  until  they  laid  me  down. 
Our  barbarous  method  of  burying  criminals  saved 
my  life;  a  coffin  would  have  smothered  me.  I  had 
a  ghostly  scheme  for  the  purpose  of  sending  my 
kindly  disposed  bearers  in  panic  from  the  field,  but 
I  heard  all  you  said,  and  knew  that  you  were  left 
alone.  I  hoped,  though,  it  seems  vainly,  that  your 
love  for  me  would  prompt  a  last  glance  at  my  face." 
He  paused,  and  after  a  few  moments  of  reflection, 
added :  "Come,  we  must  dig  my  grave." 

No  two  men  ever  dug  a  grave  with  such  delight. 
When  the  matting  was  covered  and  the  mound 
rounded  high,  he  looked  down  at  the  grave  and 
soberly  said :  "Tong-siki  is  dead,  but  Sang-ho  lives. 
Can  you  remember,  Sung-yo?  Sang-ho  lives." 

I  nodded. 

He  turned  and  looked  out  over  the  city  a  long 
time ;  tears  stood  out  on  his  cheeks,  and  he  spoke  as 
if  echoing  a  great  conviction : 

"Korea  shall  be  free — she  will  be  made  free." 


354  EWA:  A  TALE  OF  KOREA 

An  awed,  bewildered  feeling  possessed  me,  and  I 
gazed  up  into  the  face  of  this  wonderful  man,  in 
whose  heart  there  was  no  malice,  nothing  but  ten 
der  solicitude;  who  had  repeatedly  out-maneuvered 
an  army  of  bitter  enemies,  and  defeated  death,  and 
his  words  fell  on  my  ears  like  the  words  of  a  prophet 
arising  from  his  own  closed  grave,  and  echoed  in  my 
soul  an  unalterable  confidence — 

"Korea  shall  be  free — she  shall  be  made  free/' 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
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... 


SEP 5     1953  Ml 


REC'D 

NOVl7tS60 

8  1970  4 
BECTD  LD 


JAN  2  5  '70  -5  PM 


LD  21-95m-ll,'50(2877sl6)476 


2.6)  (, .  5  J 


